Love and War
by Fairview12
Summary: The kingdoms of Olympus, Atlantis, and the Underworld have been at war for longer than anyone can remember, but when tragedy strikes two of the nations, a sudden need for peace arises. Percy and Nico find themselves in an arranged marriage, but will they be able to find love, or will war tear them apart? Percy/Nico. Eventual Smut. Bad guy Jason.
1. Prologue

**Okay, so I absolutely couldn't stand how awful I thought this prologue was, so I rewrote it to a standard I thought was better. The content didn't change, I just made it sound more professional. I promise this will be the only time I rewrite something.**

 **Here goes my first Percy Jackson fanfiction. Hope you enjoy. This is rated M for smut/sex/porn in future chapters, I'll give a heads up on those chapters, and possible mpreg; not too sure where this story could head.**

 **This is just the Prologue, but it's majorly important for you to read anyway. The good stuff starts next chapter. If you'll just suffer through this part and read next chapter, I promise it gets better.**

 **This is Percy/Nico with other pairings as well, but the smut will be Percy/Nico. Anyway… I'm rambling, so PLEASE review and tell me if it sucks or is good, and follow if you like it! Here's chapter one…**

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Prologue

Once upon a time, in lands far away, there were three kingdoms. These kingdoms had been engaged in bloody combat for over four hundred years, so long that no one was quite sure when the war actually started or what the reason for its instigation even was.

The most well-known and wealthy kingdom was Olympus, ruled by Zeus, the King of the Skies. His kingdom rested high atop the Macedonian mountains. Its extraordinary iron walls and stunning buildings stood proof of Olympus' domination over architecture of their time.

On the other side of the world, known for its forges, artisans, and merpeople, lay the beautiful kingdom of Atlantis. Located on the ocean floor, the great subaquatic nation was decorated with the most elaborate coral designed edifices. Poseidon, the King of the Seas, ruled not only this magnificent nation, but all oceans and waterways, making it difficult for the other nations to travel the seas during this war time.

Finally, deep far away from the other countries, on the edge of the world itself, was the dark kingdom of the Underworld. Not much was known about its mysterious lands, for the Underworld was a barren wasteland, toxic to Atlantian merpeople and unpleasant to Olympian citizens. Many who ventured into its borders did not return, making the only known facts the rumors passed down over generations. Many believed Hades, the King of the Dead, to be a major reason the war was still going on. That is, until he became the reason for peace.

…

One fateful day, during the heat of battle on the outskirts of Atlantian shores, the forces of Hades and Poseidon battled for their lives. The clashing of swords and the screams of the wounded filled the air. On one side of the conflict, Lord Hades was charging an oncoming swarm of Atlantians. His Stygian Iron sword clanked slashed each man like it was nothing. Nevertheless, as easy as the battle attested to be for him, it proved to provide a distraction.

Hades was too busy in his confrontation to notice the stray arrow headed in his direction. However, his daughter Bianca, a great huntress and incredible warrior, did notice the lone projectile, and threw herself in front of her father, taking the arrow directly to her heart and fell to the ground, dead.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the battleground, the King of the Seas was engaged in his own skirmish. So busy in fact, that he failed to see a squadron of Hades' soldiers approaching from behind. Poseidon's own son, a half-cyclops named Tyson, intercepted said attackers, but was overcome by a blow to his skull, and in seconds he joined Bianca in death. With his pronged trident, Poseidon pierced the remaining attackers and joined Hades in screams of heartache. Distraught over their losses, the battle was over.

…

The next few weeks were occupied with burial after burial. Out of respect, Zeus recalled his troops to allow his enemies to mourn the loss of their children. As time went by however, Poseidon began to sink into a deep depression. He longed for the end of this pointless conflict. In a moment of sheer hopelessness, he sent a courier with a letter to the Underworld, begging Hades for a truce. He hoped that if the two of them could end their conflict, Zeus would follow suit.

Upon receiving the letter, Hades rejoiced silently. The Underworld had suffered more losses than any, and Hades wished the war over as much as the others. Nevertheless, signing a peace treaty with Poseidon would not prove as effective as the King of the Seas foolishly hoped. Paper was just paper and a treaty could be broken. So Hades came up with a plan; an arranged marriage.

Besides his recently passed daughter Bianca, Hades had two other children: a second daughter named Hazel, and a son named Nico. If he had recalled correctly, Poseidon had two children as well: both of them sons, Triton and Perseus. But Triton was already betrothed, leaving Percy as the only suitable candidate for this marriage.

The King of the Underworld wrote a letter of reply to Poseidon. If Percy would agree to marry either Nico or Hazel _and_ live in the Underworld with his betrothed, a permanent truce could be placed between their two kingdoms. When the King of Atlantis received said letter, dread filled his heart. For peace to be achieved, he would lose another son forever. Yet the need for harmony was greater than any loss Poseidon could experience, so he reluctantly agreed to Hades terms and informed Percy of his fate.

…

When news of this alliance reached Zeus, he became panicked. If his two foes united against him, he would certainly be defeated. So the Olympian ruler plotted against his enemies. He decided to send his son Jason to the Underworld to spy on the Atlantian prince. If Hades wanted war, Zeus would give him war…

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 **Okay, so this was a SUPER short chapter, but that's just because it was giving the background to the story. Next chapter will be much longer and will actually have POV and a good storyline. It shouldn't be too long until next chapter comes out. Please review and let me know what you think!**

 **And sorry that I rewrote it. I just saw that a lot of people would read this chapter and then not read the next and I got paranoid. I won't rewrite anything else.**


	2. Chapter 1

**IMPORTANT UPDATE:** **I REWROTE THE PROLOGUE BECAUSE IT SUCKED, SO BEFORE YOU READ THIS (IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO), GO BACK AND READ THE PROLOGUE AGAIN. THE CONTENT DIDN'T CHANGE, IT JUST SOUNDS BETTER NOW.**

 **Here's the first real chapter. This one should actually be good since it has a storyline to it. I'm really excited about this story, which with my luck means it will probably suck. Anyway… Hope you enjoy. Don't forget to review**

 **Oh and shout out to ShiroYuki1827 for being the first person to follow and favorite my story. Thanks!**

 **Also, in this world, I've changed a couple of things to make Percy and Nico's relationship more the way I want it. Like Nico is a little taller than Percy and he is also a little older, but it isn't majorly different so I hope you guys don't mind too much.**

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Chapter 1: Percy POV

The further away we got from the ocean, the worse I began to feel. Even though I wasn't a merperson, the sea still had a strong hold over my well-being. Water was a part of my soul, the very essence of my being. When you spend practically your entire life in the briny depths of Atlantis, safely tucked away behind palace walls, you tend to grow accustomed to its welcoming touch.

Every second in this carriage, more distance was placed between me and the cool Atlantian shores, and every second the energy drained from me more and more. So this is what everyone means when they say Atlantians don't do well out of water? I can't imagine why anyone would want to leave its gentle grasp.

"Do you feel as shitty as I do right now?" I looked up from the window I had been staring out of to glance at my personal servant, and best friend, Leo Valdez. He reclined sluggishly across from me, arms and legs dangling limp from exhaustion. Curly black hair clung to his head with sweat, his tongue darting out to moisten his dry lips. A plain white dress shirt with a light brown jacket covered his torso, while a pair of similarly colored dress pants adorned his bottom half. Although he was outfitted rather nicely, he looked underdressed compared to me.

Since the whole reason for this journey was for me to move in with my soon-to-be husband or wife, my father made sure I was 'dressed to impress.' My body was draped in the finest apparel Atlantian tailors had to offer. I wore a white buttoned down dress shirt similar to Leo's, but with a rich navy blue sports coat and pants. My feet were stuffed in expensive pair of brown shoes and my torso was wrapped in a brown belt. Considering this blazing heat, I felt as though I might suffocate at any moment.

"If by shitty you mean that I feel like my skin is going to shrivel up, or that I'm going to die of thirst, then yeah, I feel pretty shitty" I moaned, wiping an escaping droplet of sweat form my brow. The sun gleamed harshly on us through the single window in the carriage, the lack of clouds intensifying the heat substantially.

"What do you think the odds are we even make it there alive?" Leo mocked with a laugh, but there was a hint of fear in his voice. I tried to grant him a reassuring look, but at this point, I was beginning to question our survival myself. Poseidon had told me this would be a difficult trip; three hours long even _with_ the pegasi carrying us, and those things could fly _fast_ , meaning the Underworld must be very far away.

My father also tried to warn me of the effects of being out of the ocean. Because Leo and I were not merpeople, water was not mandatory for us to survive, but years of living in the ocean would make life on land a rather difficult experience. Both Leo and I could already feel our skin becoming drier than usual, and it made me squirm to feel the texture of clothing like this.

Although we did technically live underwater in Atlantis, we never got wet. Our clothes and bodies always stayed dry unless we wanted them to otherwise, like while swimming or showering. Merpeople on the other hand stayed wet constantly because it was required for their survival. Therefore they dressed quite differently than half-humans usually did.

Poseidon had only ever had one merchild, my half-brother Triton, and he wasn't even a full merman. I of course was half human. Poseidon had encountered my mortal mother one day on land. After a passion filled night, they parted ways. Nine months later, I was left on the palace doorstep with a note informing my father of Sally's death. I never got to meet the women outside of my birth, but father told me she was a wonderful lady. And then there was Tyson, who- Tyson. My baby brother. Gone. Taken from this world by that bastardly Hades and his army. Poseidon told me about how Tyson sacrificed himself for him, but it still broke me. Tyson was so innocent and pure, far too precious to be taken from this cruel world. A single tear cascaded down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away before Leo could see.

"Poseidon said we would be fine. He said it isn't even that unbearable hot outside; we've just grown accustomed to the cool temperatures of the water. This should all feel normal after a few days" I answered, trying to get my mind of off my brother. Leo's face fell into a frown and he looked out the window sadly. I pitied the boy; he had had a tough life.

His mother had died in an accident at one of Atlantis' many forges. There, enchanted fire scalds so hot that it can burn underwater. She was working too close to one of the flames and when a cyclops shoveled in some coal, it exploded and killed her. That was one of the reason Leo hated cyclops.

After his mother's passing, Leo was put in an orphanage. His father wasn't active in his life; Leo never met the man, he had no clue who he even was. One day while I was headed to a combat lesson in the Arena, I saw Leo by the orphanage gate. I begged Poseidon to adopt him so I could have a friend my age, but he declined. Instead, he purchased him as a servant. Though it wasn't a glamourous lifestyle, it was better than an eternity in social services, so Leo was grateful.

I turned my head to look out the window with Leo, letting a sigh fall from my lips. We were soaring high above the few clouds now, the pegasi having increased our altitude for some reason. I tried to look down at the ground far below, but it was too distant and I couldn't make out much. Suddenly, the carriage began to descend.

"We must be getting close. We're losing elevation" I observed.

"What do you think it's gonna' be like?" asked Leo. In truth, I had no clue. The only thing that Atlantians knew of Hades and his kingdom were the nightmarish stories passed down through the generations. The only people who ventured there in the past century were couriers and soldiers. Of course, there was the occasional adventurer who wanted to quench his/her thirst for exploration, but they never returned once they entered the Underworld's cruel borders.

"Honestly-"I began, but as the words began to spill from my lips, the sound of trumpets filled the air, announcing our arrival. Leo and I blocked our ears to stop the incessant noise, and a few moments later the carriage stopped abruptly, landing on the ground with a head rattling _thud_.

I exchanged a glance with the Latino, fear ever present in both our eyes. We didn't know what awaited us outside the carriage door. Neither of us dared to look out the window. After a few terror filled moments, I gripped the door handle, my heart pounding so loud I feared Leo could hear it. We had arrived.

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Nico POV

The usual quiet setting of the courtyard was interrupted when the sound of trumpets exploded in my ears. A second later, the muffled echo of ceramic shattering filled the air, and I turned my head to see one of the gardeners cursing over a dropped flower pot. My stepmother wouldn't be too happy about that…

"Nico! He's here! Didn't you hear the trumpets? Come on!" called the excited voice of my sister. Moving around to face the front end of the castle, Hazel came into view. She was wearing a low cut evening gown. The borders were imbedded with sparkling white diamonds with the torso being as black as death itself, the contrasting colors complementing her dark skin. Two bulbous pearls adorned her ear lobes and around her neck hung a shimmering sapphire cut into the shape of a skull; the royal emblem of Hades.

"That dress must be worth more than the entire treasury. If I didn't know you could summon gems from the ground, Hazel, I'd think you had a string of sugar daddies somewhere" I mumbled, walking towards her. She gave me a mocking 'ha, ha' before locking arms with me so I could escort her to the front gate, where the Atlantian Prince should be waiting.

My own clothing seemed to match my sister. Although it had been unplanned, it gave us a look of unity, as though we were proud to be the heirs to our misunderstood nation. While she wore a black dress bordered with white, my own suit reflected her. The main color was a bright white, like light shining down from heaven, while my tie, shoes, and shirt were as black as hell. It was ironic in truth, considering I was more of a demon than an angel, but white looked good on me nonetheless and I wished to impress the new arrival.

"You look distracted. Penny for your thoughts?" asked my sister. I glanced down at her and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I was just thinking about our guest, nothing more" I assured her. She frowned, but we continued walking in silence. As we neared the front door, Hazel's pace began to slow and eventually she stopped.

"Nico… I'm scared. Father says that Percy gets to choose which one of us he marries. What if he picks me? Frank and I are just starting to get serious. We were even planning on telling father about our relationship this week, but if Percy picks me then-"

"Shhhh…" I whispered, pulling her in close to give her a hug. She wrapped her arms around me in desperation and began quietly sobbing. I reached my hand up and began stroking her long, cinnamon brown hair.

"Come on now, sis. You have nothing to worry about. I had the Stoll brothers collect information on our new prince. Apparently, Percy swings for lovers of the more… masculine nature, so I think you're safe. Now cheer up. You're wrinkling my new suit" I whispered with a smile. Hazel pulled her head away from my chest, looking up at me with hopeful, golden eyes.

"He's- gay?" she asked optimistically, pulling her fingers through her hair to regain its composure. I gave her a curt nod and she literally jumped with joy.

"Oh Nico! That means Frank and I can be together and-"her face went from excitement to dread, "that means that he'll pick you. How inconsiderate of me… I'm so sorry" she whimpered, a tear starting to fall from her eye again.

"Hey, it's fine. You know that I'm gay as well. Conner told me he was quite the looker to, so I'm sure it'll be okay. I can take care of myself. I'm just glad you and Frank can be happy together. Now fix your makeup, you look like a clown that just got fired" I laughed. She playfully slapped my arm before pulling a compact mirror out of her small purse and dabbing at her eyes until she found them presentable.

"Are you ready?" I asked, extending my arm for her to take. She nodded, locking my elbow with hers as we approached the door.

"Are you?" she asked, glancing at me warily. I nodded too, letting a heavy sigh fall from my lips as I opened the castle door to meet my new prince.

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Percy POV

Upon opening the carriage door, Leo and I were greeted with quite a surprise. A red carpet lay directly below the coach, leading several yards up to the large marble steps of Hade's palace. The black building glimmered in the blazing sun, each tower, pillar, and wall shining like it was made of shadowy diamonds. It gave off an intimidating yet grandiose vibe and I found myself drawn to its mournful architecture.

As I stepped down from the carriage with Leo at my heels, we noticed dozens and dozens of nobles standing around us. Upon our exit, the crowd exploded into applause and multiple servants came up to grab the luggage from the wagon, quickly hurrying off inside the palace once their hands were full. I stood awkwardly beside Leo during the whole ordeal. The sound of trumpets abruptly filled the air once more and a man stepped forward from the group of spectators.

"Presenting their royal highnesses, Prince Nico di Angelo and Lady Hazel Levesque" his voice boomed. The large mahogany double doors of the palace opened suddenly and the formerly announced siblings entered the courtyard. They followed the red carpet, smiling and waving at the onlookers, until they stopped a few feet in front of me.

The two of them looked stunningly beautiful. Even though I didn't particularly swing that way, I couldn't deny the attractiveness of Hazel. She practically emanated wealth and grace, the diamond jewels and sapphire neckless demanding my attention. Beside her, her older brother gave off a completely different vibe. He was _oozing_ power and dominance. Just the sight of him made me go weak in the knees.

Hazel gave me a dazzling smile, her teeth sparkling as bright as her dress, and as her eyes found mine, she extended her hand. I politely took it, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckle, causing the dark skinned girl to blush.

"It is an absolute pleasure to finally meet you two" I said charmingly, giving the siblings a smile as spectacular as Hazel's. The blush on the young girls cheeks spread, and I turned to her brother, extending my arm to shake his. Nico's face remained turned in a seductive smirk as he grasped my hand extremely tight, shooting a surge of pain up my arm. I tried to keep my face neutral, but he smiled wider when he caught sight of my grimace.

"I can assure you Perseus that the _pleasure_ is all _mine_ " Nico practically moaned, bringing my own hand to his lips just as I had done to his sister. I whimpered quietly at his suggestive tone as a blush spread to my cheeks. I locked eyes with the black haired Adonis and visibly shivered at the hungry, lust filled look in his dark orbs. He gave me a wink, crossing his arms in victory and it took all of my strength not to jump him then and there. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad here after all…

While I had been distracted with Nico's antics, Hazel had noticed Leo standing quietly behind him, a devilish look spreading over her face as she saw him. The Latino shifted his body uncomfortably, a blush spreading to his already rosy cheeks.

"Well… Who is this _fine_ gentleman?" she purred, eyes never leaving Leo's. He continued to squirm behind me, pulling awkwardly at his tie, but I was too focused on the dominating look in Nico's eyes to care. Even though I was gay, I had come here open minded enough to consider marrying either of the siblings, but with the way he was acting, maybe Nico wouldn't be such a bad choice.

"Oh, well, I- um, I'm Leo, Lady Haz- I mean, ugh- your highness, ma'am?" he stuttered nervously.

"Aren't you just cute enough to eat" Hazel laughed, licking her lips seductively before returning her attention to me. Reluctantly, I left Nico's gaze to focus on her. I didn't wish for my first impression to make me seem rude.

"Anyways, I'm sure father is waiting anxiously. Would you care to follow Nico and me into the dining hall? Dinner should be waiting" she purred, golden eyes flickering to Leo's and causing him to rub his neck nervously. She reminded me of shark, ready to strike on her prey, her prey being the awkward Latino.

"Oh yes, do _come_. I can make no promises that dinner around here will be wonderful, but desert is simply _sinful_ " moaned Nico, forcing a second shiver down my spine and turning my legs to jelly. Gods this man was going to be the death of me. I shook my head violently to wake myself from the hypnotic spell of Nico before turning to my friend.

"Of course. Let's go Leo" I said. As I turned to walk towards the front entrance, I was pleased to feel Nico entwining his arm with mine. The taller boy smiled down kindly at me and I returned the gesture. I stole a glance in Leo's direction only to find Hazel clinging to him for dear life as well, a nervous look plastered on the boy's red face.

Once we reached the double doors, a set of guards promptly opened each panel for us and Nico escorted me inside. Although the position he was putting me in was embarrassing and girlish, his touch felt warm and comforting so I refrained from complaining. After a series of corridors, turning here and there so quickly I couldn't register which direction we were going, we finally reached a large oak door which we stopped outside of.

"Are you nervous, mio bello?" whispered the pale man into my ear. The unexpected way he switched languages was extremely erotic and I found myself craving more of his sweet voice.

"Not really" I muttered unconvincingly. He raised an eyebrow at me, crossing his arms.

"Okay, fine. I'm terrified. This damned war has been going on for the past four hundred years with no reason. After seventeen generations, we _finally_ have a chance to end this once and for all, and the entire backbone of peace rests on my shoulders. That's just a little stressful" I moaned. I looked up at Nico to find him smiling at me. He reached up and stroked my face gently with his fingers.

"There's no reason for you to stress, fiore. You and I will wed and I will make you the happiest man in the world. The war will be over and you will make a beautiful queen for me" he said, brushing my face once more. I moved my face against his fingers, enjoying the touch, before I realized what he had just said.

"And just what makes you think I'm going to marry you? Hazel is just as good of a choice" I mocked, a smile playing across my lips as I put my hands on my hips. The smirk on his face immediately fell and he looked flustered.

"Oh, well- um. I sort of assumed, ya know, because you're gay like me and all" he mumbled, losing his cocky attitude for the first time that night, and if I was correct, I detected a hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Relax. I was joking. I came here prepared to marry either of you, but if you'll have me, I think I'd like to marry you" I whispered, my entire face turning red. Nico's face immediately turned into a bright smile and he placed a kiss on my hand.

"As happy as that makes me, amore, I don't believe you have to rush into this so quickly. Yes, technically this is an arranged marriage, but that doesn't mean you must decide now. The treaty says you must marry within a month, and even though based on your sexual orientation I am fairly confident I will be your choice, I would be honored to court you for these few short weeks."

A smile spread across my face and all I could do was nod.

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 **T** **here you go. I am really excited for this story. I think it has a lot of potential and I hope you all will like it. Please review and let me know what you think. If you have any questions or suggestions, PM me! Love you all, and I'll see you next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT UPDATE:** **I REWROTE THE PROLOGUE BECAUSE IT SUCKED, SO BEFORE YOU READ THIS (IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE SO), GO BACK AND READ THE PROLOGUE AGAIN. THE CONTENT DIDN'T CHANGE, IT JUST SOUNDS BETTER NOW.**

 **Good day my fellow Percy Jackson fans. I see you all are being stubborn and not listening. At the time I am writing this part I still had no reviews, so either my story sucks or you guys are being lazy. I hope it is the latter. Anyways… enjoy chapter 2.**

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Chapter 2: Percy POV

The loud chiming of bells woke me the next morning. Rolling over on the king sized mattress, I groaned loudly at the sun shining on my face. As I glanced through the open window, I caught a glimpse of the great ball of fire rising lazily over the horizon, gently illuminating the dark valley below. Reluctantly sitting up in the bed, I shivered as the blue bed sheets fell, exposing my naked chest to the cool morning air.

Chancing a glance around the room, I took in the decorations for the first time. The light blue walls were delicately painted, each brush stroke carefully calculated to portray the grandeur of the ocean; my father's domain. Beside the window sat only a night stand, barren from all paraphernalia. Directly across from the bed hung a large mirror, suspending the full length of the wall and giving me a view of my messy bed-head and chiseled chest. To the right of the mirror stood a tall statue of a mermaid, the proud people of my kingdom. To the left, the large walk-in closet, filled with pre-stocked clothes as well as the ones I brought from Atlantis. But perhaps the most intricately designed thing in the room was the bronze trident bolted to the wall above my head. Each prong and curve crafted as though it belonged to Poseidon himself.

The detail Hades had put into the room amazed me, especially considering the way he acted towards me last night. I groaned loudly at the memory of the dinner, flinging my head into a pillow and yelling. Let's just say the evening didn't exactly go well…

 _ **Flashback**_

The medieval styled dining hall was dimly lit, the fire place in the far corner serving as the only source of light besides the small chandelier hanging precariously above the lengthy table. The cobblestone walls were adorned with sets of shields- painted with coats of arms of the royal family- as well as sets of weaponry. Scattered against the walls stood a couple of guards, each looking directly ahead, never straying their gaze or speaking a word.

At the head of the table, sitting in a black, throne-like chair and munching away at a chicken wing, was Hades, glaring at me menacingly all the while. To his right rest his beautiful wife Persephone, leaning against the arm of her chair with a bored expression on her face. On Hades' left was Hazel, eagerly chatting away to Leo who was sitting to her left. Across from the Latino, next to Persephone, was Thantos. I sat in the spare seat next to Leo with Nico relaxing across from me, his piercing eyes never looking away from me other than to glare at his father.

"You know, Percy has made his choice already. He and Nico are going to 'date' until the deadline for the wedding gets closer" exclaimed Hazel, taking a break from gossiping with Leo. Hades merely spared a look in her direction, grunting when she was done talking before returning to stare daggers in my direction. I slunk down in my chair, shifting my gaze toward Nico awkwardly. If looks could kill...

"That's wonderful, Nico! _Isn't it, dear?"_ said Persephone, gritting her teeth as she spoke the last sentence to her husband.

"Whatever you say" he replied.

"Damnit, what's your fucking _problem_?" screamed Nico, slamming his fists harshly on the table making me jump.

"Watch your language, boy. You might be the heir to the throne but I'm still king for another month" growled the king. Nico stood up from the table, chest heaving in anger.

"How dare you treat Percy this way? You are the sole reason he is even here and you won't even speak to him!" he barked. Then looking at me, his tone softened, "Come Percy. No need to keep such foul company."

He marched around the table, gripping my arm like a vice and practically dragging me out of the room, ignoring his father's shouts behind him.

"Wait! What about Leo? I can't just leave him in there with your father so angry" I cried once we were in the safety of the hallway. He lightened his tug on my arm before turning towards me, a look of fire and hate in his eyes. This was a dark side to Nico that I'd never seen before, and if I was honest, it was scary… and sexy. I jerked my arm away before backing away a few steps, blushing furiously. After seeing the terror on my face, his black orbs softened and he frowned, apparently unaware of my arousal.

"Percy, I'm- Shit, I'm sorry. My father just has this way of infuriating me. He and I don't exactly see eye to eye most of the time. I'm sorry for scaring you" he whimpered, lifting his fingers to gently push a strand of hair out of my eyes.

"What about Leo?" I asked.

"He'll be fine. With the way Haze's been ogling him, I'm sure she won't let my father say so much as a foul word towards him" laughed Nico. There was a long moment of silence in which the pale prince just stared at me, taking his hand and stroking my cheek. I felt my face heating up at the intimate gesture before my stupid body forced an unwanted yawn.

"You've had a long day. Come on, I'll take you to your room and you can go to bed." A second yawn escaped my lips before he took my hand, leading me through a series of corridors and up a set of stairs, inside a darkened room and I drifted off into sweet slumber.

 _ **End Flashback**_

A quiet knock on the door brought me back to reality, and I was relieved to find that it was Leo instead of Hades.

"Morning" I mumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and motioning for my friend to have a seat at the foot of the bed. He obliged, looking around the room at its ornamentation.

"Dang. Your rooms a _lot_ nicer than mine. Well, I guess that makes since considering you're going to be _queen_ soon" he said, sticking his tongue out at me in a friendly sneer.

"Oh put a sock in it. So how was your night? You and hazel seemed to be getting pretty cozy, huh? Sorry I bailed, but I didn't exactly have a choice."

"It was… interesting. She told me that she likes me and then she introduced me to her boyfriend."

"What?!" I screamed, causing the Latino to blush.

"His name is Frank. He's actually kind of hot. I don't know how to explain it but I just sort of felt- drawn to both of them. And I guess they felt the same way because one thing led to another aaand…"

"You had sex!" I screamed again, making him blush even harder. Leo reached his hand across the bed and clamped it down over my mouth, silencing me.

"Yessss we had sex. And keep your voice down. The whole Underworld doesn't need to know" he hissed, removing his hand from my mouth.

"For Christ's sake Leo, you just met them!" And after a pause, "How was it?" Leo glared daggers at me, flailing backwards on the bed in embarrassment.

"Do I have to have this conversation with you?" he asked, his head still stuffed in a pillow.

"Yes!" Leo looked at me with a sullen expression and I realized that he wasn't so embarrassed about having sex, but the conditions under which he had it.

"It's okay man. Lord knows Poseidon's had multiple women in his bed, and Amphitrite wasn't exactly faithful. Look, what I'm trying to say is I don't judge. But when you lose your virginity in a threesome with two strangers, you better give me some details" I screeched, shoving him playfully on the back.

"I hate you" he moaned with a smile. Before I could push him any further, there was a second knock on the door, and after giving the person permission to enter, I was surprised to find it was Nico.

"Good morning, _principe_ " he purred, staring at me intently. I blushed under his gaze. Leo glanced at me awkwardly, the tension in the room not to his liking.

"Ugh… Percy" he muttered, glancing down to my chest. Looking down I was mortified to realize that my naked torso was still showing. With a girlish yelp I grabbed the sheet and covered myself and making Nico chuckle quietly.

"That's okay, Perseus. Nothing to be ashamed of. I was actually quite… enjoying the view." My cheeks turned bright red and I could feel the heat radiating from them. How could he say something like that as if it were casual conversation?

"Leo, I believe Hazel was looking for you. She's waiting for you in your room. Something about touring a workshop?" Leo jumped off the bed with excitement before blushing at my confused look.

"Hazel promised to give me a tour of the Underworld's workshops and forges today. They don't have cyclops' here so it'll be nice to not have to deal with… that" he clarified. I nodded at him before he literally ran from the room with excitement.

"How did you sleep?" asked Nico, taking a seat at the foot of my bed. I pulled my feet up close to my chest, wrapping the sheet around my body even tighter. Gods this was so _embarrassing_. And to make matters worse he was acting like nothing was wrong. I mean, I was _naked_ under this sheet.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, you know. If we're being totally honest with each other, I'm probably going to end up seeing you naked anyway on our honeymoon. And the tighter you pull that sheet, the more of you I can see" he smirked. It was criminal how much this man made me blush. I loosened my grip on the sheet, but didn't let it fall from my body.

"Anyways, I did come in here for a reason. I was wondering if you would like to spend the day with me. We could get to know each other, you could see the city. What do you say?"

"Yes!" I practically screamed. He smiled at me, smug at my own eagerness to spend time with him. Damn, now he was going to think I was needy.

"Okay then. I'll let you get dressed and I'll meet you in the courtyard in half an hour. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

So far my day with Nico had been… perfect. He took me on a carriage ride through the three city districts. We walked the magnificent marble pathways between mansions in Elysium before strolling casually along the more moderate housing of Asphodel. He was wary to take me into the city slums of Tartarus, but I needed to see all of the Underworld if I was to call it home.

Throughout all the touring, I actually got to know Nico pretty well. We spent a lot of the time talking back and forth, learning about each other's likes and dislikes, pasts and hopeful futures, and to my surprise, our kingdoms. The more I saw of the Underworld, the more I realized that everything my father told me was a _lie_.

It had been drilled into my head from a young age that the Underworld was dangerous, a toxic wasteland of filth and anarchy. That was a total load of bullshit. From the booming manufacturing and agricultural industries I've seen today, I may even say the Underworld is _better_ than Atlantis.

Of course I never told Nico any of this. There was already so much tension between our kingdoms. Why bother stirring up trouble when peace was so close. The whole issue of my father lying to me hadn't sat right with me all day, but the _second_ Nico mentioned taking a swim in the lake, my mood brightened.

And that leaves me in my current predicament. Standing at the edge of a beautiful, crystal clear supply of water, my shirt discarded to the side and hesitating to take off my pants. The water was _right there_ , but I was still insecure about Nico seeing me in my underwear.

"If you're shy, I could always _help_ you take your pants off" whispered Nico suggestively in my ear. I shivered before playfully shoving him away.

"You wish" I scoffed, gathering the courage to shove down my jeans and jump into the lake. The water was invigorating. It swirled around me, giving me goosebumps as I reveled in its chilly touch. Diving down towards the bottom of the lake, I swam around, taking in the view of the sandy depths. Reluctantly, I made contact with the bottom and shot towards the sky, finally in need of air.

"For the love of god, Percy, I thought you drown! I've been looking around for you for the past ten minutes" screamed Nico, swimming over to me as soon as my head bobbed against the surface.

"Calm down, I was only down there for a few seconds" I moaned, blushing furiously as he enveloped me in a tight hug.

"Few secon- Percy you were down there for over ten minutes. What. The. Hell." The look on Nico's face was meant to be worried and infuriated, but to me it just looked flushed and adorable. I couldn't help but smile, causing him to frown even more but only serving to look more adorable.

"You're cute when you worry" I smiled. Finally it was _his_ turn to blush and he released his hold on me as we swam to shore, putting on our remaining clothes despite our soaked state.

"That's your Royal Power isn't it? Or at least one of them?" asked Nico, obviously exhausted from his swim.

"Royal Power?" I asked confused.

"You know… the almost magical abilities you get from being a prince. I've got them, Hazel's got them, Bianca's got-. Bianca had them." Nico grimaced at his deceased sister's name. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know how.

And of course I knew of the powers he had been referring to, but I'd never heard of them being referred to as Royal Powers.

"Um, yeah, I guess. I've never heard of them being called Royal Powers before. I didn't even know anyone else had them. I just knew that I could always hold my breath underwater for long periods of time. If I get upset, I can make the water do what I want too" I answered.

Nico looked at me with fascination, placing his hand in mine and pulling me over to the edge of the water to sit on the wet sand.

"Their called Royal Powers. Some of the children of the three kings get these… powers. A blessing from the creator maybe? But when the next child ascends to the throne, his or her powers grow and they become this supercharged god like king. As a monarch, they aren't allowed to use them in battle unless against each other."

"What are your powers?" I asked in fascination. He smiled at me before gripping my hand tightly and pulling my gently towards the shadow of a nearby tree.

"Hold onto me" he whispered, pulling our chests tightly together. My face heated, but I reluctantly wrapped my arms tightly around him, pulling my face into the nape of his neck. Suddenly everything around us went black and it got very cold.

"Nico…" I said hesitantly. He reached a hand out to pet my head calmingly. After a few moments the scene around me changed and I realized we were standing in the dark shadow of the door of my bedroom.

"What the?" I asked, looking up at him curiously. Nico smiled down at me and I let go of his body.

"It's called shadow traveling. I manipulate the shadows around me and bend them to take me where I want. I can also summon the undead, but I figured that might be a little too scary for our first date" he answered.

"Date?" I asked hesitantly.

"Mmmhmmm" he confirmed, leaning down to seal our lips in a kiss. I tensed at the spontaneous gesture, but melted into his lips nonetheless. It was like hot fire, I could feel my body burning away but I leant in closer to him, wanting more of the beautiful flames. He placed his hands against my cheeks and I locked mine in his hair tightly.

Nico's tongue trailed against my bottom lip seeking entry and I granted it to him willingly, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth. Our teeth gnashed together and I let a moan slip through the air, pulling away momentarily for a breath. As I leaned back in to reinitiate the kiss, Nico pulled away.

"I should probably go. Hades' wanted to speak to me about my outburst last night. But I had fun today, Percy. See you tomorrow." I gawked at him as he waltzed out of the room like nothing had happened. What a tease…

* * *

 **Okay so it may be a while before the next chapter because I'm working on another story at the moment. I'm super excited about it (it involves an angel Nico and human Percy). But I won't make you all wait too long for chapter 3. Hope you enjoyed and don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 3

**In all honesty, I'm kind of disappointed with this story. Nothing to do with you guys, it just hasn't turned out how I hoped. Anyways, I'm working on another one which I plan on posting soon and I have HIGH expectations for it. I think it will be great and I hope you guys will read it too. Enough babbling, here's chapter 3**

 **And there's a very short, very poorly written smutty scene in this chapter, so just a warning on that.**

* * *

Jason POV: _A Week Before the Wedding_

Pretending to be a servant sucked. It didn't sound glamorous in general, but actually living as one for the past few weeks was awful. Three weeks in the Underworld cleaning toilets, washing windows, mopping hallways, and serving dinners. And for what? To gather information for my ungrateful father? To eavesdrop on a plot to overthrow Olympus that didn't even exist? To fall in love with the Atlantian Prince…

Ugh, seeing those sea-green eyes every single fucking day, the ones that sparkled in any light no matter what his mood; it was torture. His sleek black hair that was always styled so messy, but yet was still so attractive. That chiseled body that looked like it had been sculpted by the Gods themselves. I want him so bad and yet he was untouchable. He was marrying that Nico jackass. He didn't even appreciate Percy. If he was mine, Id worship his body every second…

And he would be mine. I can't go on like this any longer. He would be so much happier with me. I could give him just as much as Nico, even more; and I planned to. The emerald eyed beauty was currently sitting a few yards away on the edge of the fountain in Persephone's garden. His gaze was drawn down at the water and I couldn't help but sigh at how beautiful his lips looked. I could think of a couple things they'd look better doing… But not now. I had to tell him how I feel. It's not like he could resist me. I'm Jason fucking Grace, son of Zeus, heir to the throne of Olympus.

"Good afternoon your highness" I called from across the empty courtyard, walking over to him with a confidence oozing stride. He looked up at me with unsure eyes and I smiled at him charmingly.

"Um, I'm sorry. I don't know your name" he admitted with a blush. The rosy color looked so attractive on his tan skin that I ignored the annoying fact that he didn't know who I was. He had probably been too busy planning the wedding to notice how amazing I am.

"That's ok, Percy. But I know you. And can I just say, that I've never been more attracted to someone than I am to you" I cooed, sitting down next to him and placing my hand on his thigh, squeezing lightly. He looked flustered before brushing my hand off and standing up quickly.

"I don't mean to be rude, but that is extremely improper. I am engaged and you have no right-"I interrupted his rant by slamming my lips into his. His body tensed in what I suspected was pleasure and I locked my hands in his gorgeous locks. My tongue caressed his bottom lip but he refused to give me access. Playing hard to get, huh?

I bit down harshly on his mouth, forcing him to part his lips with a gasp of pain before I slipped my tongue inside. He began to struggle with more effort in my grasp and his hands finally found my chest, pushing me away roughly. Playing very hard to get…

A stinging sensation erupted across my cheek and I realized that he had slapped me. Maybe he wanted me to be a little rough with him…

"What the hell?" he demanded "I told you, I'm engaged! You can't just go around kissing people! Get out now!" he demanded. I balled my hands into fists at my side. This wasn't hard to get. He was _refusing_ me. _NO ONE_ refused Jason Grace. No One.

"You're going to regret this Percy. You _and_ your little boyfriend. But don't worry. I'll still have you my little prince."

* * *

Percy POV

"He did _what_?!" screamed Nico. After leaving Persephone's garden I had ran to Nico and pulled him into my bedroom to retell the incident with the servant to him.

"Nico it's okay. It didn't mean anything to me and I pulled away as quickly as it started" I answered. Fury was evident in his eyes and he began to pace back and forth across the room, making me extremely nervous. I'd never seen Nico like this, but it made me oddly happy to know he cared so much.

"Where is that fucking bastard? I'll have him strung up by his toes in the dungeon. Feed him piece by piece to the hell hounds…" he muttered. I couldn't help but smile as his cheeks became red with anger. He looked like an exasperated puppy.

"Stop being so overdramatic Nico. I told him to get out so he probably fled from the kingdom anyway. There's nothing you can do. And I've told you a hundred times, I'm yours, you have nothing to worry about." Apparently that set something off in him as he looked at me with those fire filled eyes and slammed me against the wall, pinning my arms above my head and letting out a low growl.

"You're damn right you're mine. And you know what? I don't _share_. _Nobody_ touches what's mine" he snarled, leaning down and biting harshly at my neck. I squeaked loudly at the primal act, trying desperately to move my hands to touch him but he held them tightly in place.

"Ah, _Gods¸_ Nico- please" I whimpered. I bit down on my lip harshly and he smiled against my neck, placing gentle kisses against my jaw line until his mouth found mine. There was nothing gentle once our lips met; it was pure lust and need. We both wanted this but he _needed_ this right now. To stake his claim, prove I was his.

" _Mine_ " he growled again, sliding his hands beneath my shirt to tweak my nipples. My mouth fell open in a loud moan and I turned my head to the side, embarrassed of the noises I was making.

"Don't you dare. I wana hear you scream" moaned Nico. I turned my head back towards him nervously and he unsheathed his sword. I stared at him terrified but he gave me a reassuring glance, taking the edge of the blade and using it to slice away my shirt.

"Hey! I liked that shirt" I whined. He laughed gently before getting down on his knees and attaching his mouth to one of my nipples, snaking his fingers up to the other erect bud and twisting it roughly. A scream rippled through the air and with a blush I realized it came from me. Nico smirked, knowing he succeeded in making me scream before continuing to swirl his tongue around my nipple. I bit down on my lip harshly again and his lips found mine again.

"Please. I need- Nico…" I screeched, to ashamed to ask for what I wanted.

"Shhh. I've got you" he whispered, reaching down and unbuttoning my pants, pulling them down in one swift motion. After admiring my large bulge, he pulled down the last remaining item of clothing, my erect member smacking him in the chin.

"Oh God, I'm sorry" I laughed. Nico glared daggers at me before stuffing the whole thing in his mouth. The noise that came out of me was more of a scream than a moan. His tongue swirled around the head of my cock as he took more of me into his throat.

My fingers dug themselves into his black locks, urging him to take more of me into his mouth which he did so eagerly. Screw heaven, this was where I wanted to spend eternity. He pulled off of my dick, using his hand to jerk me off while placing a tender kiss on the slit. I moaned loudly, pulling lightly on his head to get him to take me back in his mouth.

He did so willingly, taking it all the way to the base like a pro. He made a gagging noise around my cock and I could have came then and there, but I didn't want it to end so soon. I held back, thrusting lightly into his mouth for a few moments before I decided I couldn't wait anymore.

"Nico I'm gonna cum" I whimpered, trying to warn him of my impending orgasm, but he simply pulled off until only the head was in his mouth, enjoying the flavor as I blasted four shots of salty cum.

"Fuck." He smiled at me, standing up and pulling me into another heated kiss. I could taste myself on his lips and I moaned at the depravity of it.

" _You are mine_. Do you understand me?" he demanded, looking at me with all seriousness. Locking eyes with him, I placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Yes. And you are mine too.

* * *

Nico POV

I spent the night in Percy's bed, cuddling with him until we both fell asleep. We didn't have sex of course. We were saving the actual act of intercourse for our wedding night. It was my idea; an old Underworld tradition. God knows we were both willing, but penetration before marriage in the Underworld was a big no no. Therefore we were reduced to the occasional blowjob, which in hindsight wasn't so bad after all.

"Nico, you know I love you right?" asked Percy. We were still spooning on his large bed and my eyes fluttered open. I hadn't realized he was still awake.

"That's the first time you've actually said it, but I knew. Why aren't you asleep?" He rolled over to face me, a frown pulled tightly on his face. I hated that look with a passion. I wanted to kiss it away, make it go away forever so that his beautiful face would never feel a sad day again.

"I don't know. The whole thing with that servant," I growled as he mentioned it, but he continued regardless, "got me thinking. I've never been in a real relationship before Nico and I'm scared. I _really_ don't want to mess this up. I love you" he whined. I gave him a gentle smile, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes and placing a kiss on his forehead.

"Percy, I've never loved anyone more than I love you. No matter what, that will never change. Okay? You're the other half of my soul, Percy. We'll always be together." He gave me a loving smile before scooting his body closer and placing his face in the crook of my neck, sighing loudly and wrapping his arms tightly around me. This was really nice. It wasn't sexual or lust filled. It was just Percy. I could stay like this forever. But of course good things never last and someone came bursting through the bedroom door.

Percy jumped up in surprise, his arms tightening around my waste in fear. I looked up and realized it was Frank, the head of the Royal Security and Hazel, and apparently now Leo's, boyfriend.

"Frank, it's half past midnight. I don't care how laid-back you are with my sister, whatever you need it could have waited till morn-"

"Zeus is going to attack" he interrupted. My jaw hardened in fear and I realized that subconsciously I had pulled Percy into my arms protectively.

"Why, when, and how do you know?" I asked. Frank continued into the room, standing a few feet from the bed. He was obviously tense.

"I'm sure you are aware of Zeus' son, Jason? Apparently he was sent here to spy on us, posing as a servant. He um- apparently he became infatuated with Percy and wants him to himself. He persuaded his father to attack so he can take Percy from you. We learned all this from our own espionage agents in their palace. The Olympian forces will be here in two days' time."

Percy looked at me with utter terror in his eyes. I pulled him tighter against me, placing a quick kiss on his head.

"It'll be okay," I assured him," and how, may I ask, did Jason slip into the palace without you noticing him?" I asked Frank. He shifted awkwardly in place unable to answer.

"Your father wished for me to inform you that he is meeting with Thantos and the other generals in the war room at 8. He's in no hurry since we have two days. Lord Hades would like for you to be there. Until then, feel free to rest" mumbled Frank before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"Nico I'm scared" Percy whispered. I pulled him tightly into my chest and placed my head on top of his.

"Don't be. I'm going to meet with the generals in the morning and we'll plan how to defend ourselves. Zeus thinks he has the element of surprise, but we'll be the ones to surprise him. And I promise you, I'll kill that bastard Jason myself."

"No! Please don't fight, Nico. I don't want you to get hurt" cried Percy, a wet spot beginning to form on my shirt from his tears.

"Perce I have to. Zeus wants to take you away from me. I _can't_ let that happen. You understand that?"

"Why can't you just let the army fight?" he asked, pulling away from my chest and wiping the tears from his reddened eyes.

"It's the principle of the matter. What kind of future king would I be if I didn't even fight with my own people?" I answered. Percy nodded reluctantly before taking a deep breath to steady himself.

"Okay. Then I'm going with you."

"The hell you are. No offense, but you don't have the training to fight and I refuse to see you get hurt" I argued, glaring at him menacingly. He returned the glare, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Well no offense, _your highness,_ but you don't control me, and if I want to fight beside my fiancé and my future kingdom, then I will damn well do as I please. Now get over here a cuddle with me" he yelled, laying down and facing towards the window. I couldn't help but smile at him, laying down and wrapping my arms around him.

With an angry huff, he pulled my arm tighter around him before snuggling his back closer towards me.

"You know you're kind of cute when you get all huffy" I laughed.

"Stuff it di Angelo."

* * *

 **Kind of short chapter, but oh well. Please review, I really want to know what you all think. I think there's only a couple chapters left (unless this story gets popular) so I'll see you soon. Also, I have a couple announcements: I'm working on another PJ story which I'm super excited about and then I've got a Twilight story that I'm working on too. I plan to have those both posted soon. Anyways, leave a review and I'll see you all soon!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Let me start out by saying thanks for my first bitchin' reviews to this story courtesy of Takara Phoenix and Firediva0. Yall were both** _ **super**_ **nice and I hope you both continue to enjoy the story. A couple other people have reviewed, and I appreciate them all, but you guys were my very first, so I just wanted to give props to you.**

 **Also there is going to be a delay on the other PJO story I planned on posting. For some reason it isn't letting me upload it to the website… IDK. I'm going to see if I can work it out, but I promise I will post it eventually.**

 **And I'm sorry that this chapter has really short sections of POV, but it shouldn't happen again. That being said, I have no further announcements so here is Chapter 3.**

* * *

Leo POV

I woke up with the feeling that I was surrounded by warmth. I couldn't help but smile as I opened my eyes. Frank was laying directly across from me, his arm pulling me tight against his chest and his legs tangled in mine. His mouth was hanging wide open and the sound of quiet snoring filled the room. Hazel was resting behind me, her arm draping around me and grasping Frank's thigh. We were a tangled mess of limbs and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

It's just that it made me feel bad sometimes. Percy told me how Nico refused to have sex because of that old Underworld tradition. Frank and Hazel always said they thought that rule was stupid, but any time we did… _that_ I always feel like I'm getting them in trouble.

"Morning Leo" whispered Hazel, placing a string of kissing on the back of my neck. I pulled my head back whimpering quietly.

"Good morning your highness" I whispered. She reached her spare arm up to slap me gently on the arm.

"How long until you get it through your head to call me Hazel? We're _together_ Leo. When was the last time you saw Frank call me by such titles?" I turned my head around and let her kiss me on the cheek.

"I'm sorry your maj- Hazel" I replied. She smiled victoriously before laying her head in the crook of my neck, sighing contently.

"That's not fair, Hazel. Why do you get all of the Leo snuggles?" I looked up to see Frank pouting childishly. I laughed gently, moving my arms and legs so that he could scoot closer towards me. He moved his body flush with mine, our morning erections grinding together and his arm reaching around to Hazel possessively.

"Happy now?" I asked. He grunted approvingly before going silent. We all lay there for a while, basking in the glory of being together. I couldn't help but let a frown fall across my face. Zeus was coming. How many more nights like this did we have left? How long until Frank or Hazel goes off to battle and never returns? How long-

"Please stop crying Leo. Everything's going to be okay" whispered Frank, pulling back to kiss my temple gently. I reached up to touch my cheek, shocked to find it wet.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I di- didn't even kn-know I was cr-crying" I sobbed. That was when the dam broke and I slung my arms around Frank, letting everything I had out. Hazel sat up in the bed, stroking my back lovingly.

"Don't cry Leo. Zeus won't even be here for two more days, so why don't we spend them together, eh?" she whispered. I pulled away from Frank, resting my back against the headboard and slowing the rush of tears. Hazel wiped each cheek before laying against my right shoulder, Frank against my left.

"That's better. Let's stay like this until Frank and I go to the War Meeting, okay?" Hazel asked. Frank nodded and I stared at the white walls blankly.

"Promise me you will come back to me. I lost my mother in a fire when I was a child. I can't lose you guys too. _Promise me_."

"We promise" whispered Frank. Hazel nodded silently against my side. Everything was going to be okay. Everything was going to be okay…

* * *

Percy POV

"Percy _caro_ , I have to go." My eyes fluttered open as I felt the warm breath of Nico against my ear.

"Mphmphmphmphpmh" I mumbled against the pillow. He laughed softly before kissing my neck.

"I didn't quite catch that."

"Can't you stay for five more minutes? It gets cold when you leave" I whined, rolling over and burying my face into the warmth of his chest. He sighed loudly, combing his fingers gently through my hair.

"I can't Percy. I'd love to spend the whole day cuddled up with you but Zeus will be here the day after tomorrow. I have a War Meeting to get to; got to keep you safe. I'll see you in a few hours" he said, placing a quick kiss on the top of my head before sliding out of the bed, dressing quickly and leaving me alone in the room.

Just as I had suspected, the bed started to get cold and I nuzzled myself as close as I could to the spot he had been laying; it was always slightly warmer. Inhaling deeply against his pillow, I sighed at the natural scent of Nico; an indescribable smell of walnut with a hint of vanilla. Perfection…

"Am I interrupting something?" laughed Leo. I looked up horrified from the bed to see Leo standing at the doorway. I hadn't even heard him knock.

"Um, no. Just uh, you know, uh-"

"Creepily smelling the bedsheets of your boyfriend? S'okay. I do it when I miss mine too…" he said, frowning at the last sentence. I sat up, opening my arms widely in offer of a hug. He ran over, intertwining his arms with mine and letting out a huge string of sobs.

"Oh Percy. I don't- I don't wan- want to go to war. I just want my- my Hazel and Frank to- to be safe and- and with me" he cried against my shoulder. I patted his back carefully, stroking it in soft, gentle circles.

"Me too Leo. Me too. Are you going to fight?" I asked. He shook his head violently, pulling back away from the hug and throwing himself face down on the bed in defeat. After a few moments when the question sunk in, he sat up mortified and looked at me.

"Are you?" he asked hesitantly. I nodded slowly and he face planted against a pillow.

"Everyone I care about leaves me! First my mother, then Frank and Hazel, and now you! What's the point in caring about someone if they're just going to get taken away?"

"Hey, stop that. No one's getting taken away. That's why we're fighting in the first place. So stop crying and come here" I demanded. He lifted his head from the pillow, his eyes red and puffy from crying, and placed his head on my lap. I petted his head in slow motion, running my fingers through his dark curls to soothe him.

"No one's getting taken away."

* * *

Nico POV

"We need to focus on defending the city. Zeus is bringing his entire army and-" started Frank.

"That's idiotic. Zeus is fighting in unfamiliar territory. We have the soldiers and the supplies. We should march out and destroy him while we have the chance. I can lead us to victory" countered Thantos.

"Hear him out Thantos. Olympus' weapons are far more advanced than our own. His army is twice the size of our own. Will you risk the lives of thousands for the sake off your own vanity?" demanded Hazel.

We'd been arguing like this for hours. Hazel, Frank, Thantos, Hades, and I sat around a round table in the War Room, tension building in the air with every passing moment. Hazel and Frank wanted to defend the city while Thantos and I voted on marching out and attacking. Hades was impartial at the moment.

"For Christ's sake, Zeus is coming to try and take my Percy away from me, and I'll be _damned_ if I let that happen, so I suggest you get your heads out of your asses and start making some fucking decisions!" I screamed. The room got eerily silent as all eyes fell on me.

"Nico's right. We have two votes for offense and two votes for defense. I'll become the deciding factor. Zeus knows of my hatred for him. He probably expects me to march out and attack. I think it wise to barricade what we can and defend the city to the best of our ability; make a stand. Once the city is well fortified, we will attack" declared Hades.

There was another moment of silent before we all agreed that Hades suggestion was our best course of action.

"Alright. Thantos, Frank, let's begin preparations. Nico and Hazel, you're free to go.'

* * *

Percy POV

Persephone's courtyard was as beautiful as ever. Hundreds of flowers of every color and breed in every direction. It was utterly beautiful. I found myself drawn to the same spot I always visited when Nico was busy; the corner section where there was a hybrid bush of blue roses.

This one flower always drew my attention. Mainly because of its utter beauty, but in reality it was because it was the only flower whose name I knew. The flora on the surface was so different from that in Atlantis. I reached out to caress one of the soft petals between my thumb and pointer finger.

"I see you like my flowers." I turned around to find Persephone standing behind me, a soft smile across her lips. She was wearing a bright colored dress that matched her flowers perfectly, but compared to the rest of the Underworld, made her stand out like a sore thumb.

"Um, yes Lady Persephone. I'm sorry for intruding" I mumbled out. She threw her hand down as if to say it was 'no problem'.

"You're not intruding Percy. I find it complementing that you enjoy my garden so" she replied, walking over to a nearby tree and grasping one of the branches. Under her touch its limb grew rapidly and began to bear a fruit all in a matter of seconds.

"Pomegranate?" she asked, plucking the produce and offering it to me. I shook my head no, amazed at her Royal Power. She simply shrugged before taking a bite out of the fruit. It felt awkward being around the queen so casually. We had never really spoken more than a few words to each other. I thought she disliked me as much as Hades did.

"You know Hades and I do not hate you, right?" she asked, seemingly reading my mind.

"You seem nice enough your majesty, but I'm fairly sure that the king detests me very much" I answered. She laughed quietly, placing the remainder of the fruit in the dirt and waving her hand. The ground swallowed it up and a small plant sprouted in its place.

"Hades has his reasons for his… distaste. He cares for you Percy, he truly does, it's just that you bring back memories that are more painful than you can imagine" she said, a sad look spreading across her face. As her tone became more solemn, it seemed that every flower and tree became darker, wilting slightly.

"I don't think that's very fair. Why should I suffer his wrath for something that I didn't even do?" I asked. She sighed deeply, walking over to the nearby fountain and sitting down. I joined her and looked down at the water. A shudder spread through my body at the memory of Jason kissing me here.

"Hades has not had the best luck when it comes to love. I am his third wife, you know? Before me there was Marie Levesque, and before her there was Maria di Angelo. Hades quarrel with you lies with Maria, Nico and Bianca's mother." I looked up at her in confusion. I never knew that about Nico. I always assumed Persephone was the mother of all Hades' children.

"But I've never even heard of Maria, let alone met her. Why does Hades hate me because of her?" I asked. She looked at me angrily, slamming her fist down on the side of the fountain in frustration.

"I told you he doesn't hate you! Ugh, I'm sorry. This story is hard for me too. Hades loves me, I know that, but he doesn't love me as much as he did Maria. She was his soul mate. They were meant to be. When she died giving birth to Nico, it nearly killed him too. It's just hard knowing that he can never love me as much as he loved her…" she mumbled, a single tear falling down her cheek. As uncomfortable as it was, I reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in reassurance.

"It'll be okay. But I still don't understand what this has to do with me."

"No you wouldn't. You see, what most people don't know about Maria is that she was _Atlantian._ And because of this, she exhibited those qualities that most Atlantians exhibit; black hair, green eyes, etc. In other words, you look exactly like her. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were her son. Nico and Bianca took after their father you see? They look like true Underworld citizens. You mirror Maria perfectly, and every time Hades looks at you, he is forced to remember all the pain he felt when she died, how he will never get to see her again. And every time _I_ look at you, I remember that he will never treasure me as much as he treasured her. We don't hate you Perseus, we hate what you remind us of."

I stared at her for a few moments, unsure of what to say. I thought Nico and I had learned everything about each other in these past weeks, but I guess I was wrong. He'd never talked about his mother really. I just assumed it was Persephone. It was sort of relieving to know that my future in-laws didn't hate my guts, but there was a new pain in my heart for what they were going through. I wish I could take it away.

"I'm- I'm sorry Persephone. I had no idea. I don't really know what to say" I managed to stutter. She gave me a gentle smile, wiping away the few tears that had fell down her bronzed skin.

"That's quite alright dear. I just figured you had a right to know. It probably wasn't my place to tell you, but Hades had no intention of revealing it. He never talks about Maria, but when I saw you, I _knew_ why he was being distant. Hell, Nico doesn't even know what his mother looked like. If Bianca was still with us, she _may_ have remembered Maria a little bit, but I doubt it. She was so young… But I remember the old queen very well. Anyway, history is history. Hades and I need to move past all that. We have no right to take out our frustrations on you my boy. I hope you can forgive me" she whispered.

I gave her a gentle smile, and for some reason, I jumped across the fountain and wrapped my arms around her in a tight hug. She tensed immediately, obviously not used to such affection, but slowly relaxed, placing her arms around me awkwardly and squeezing gently.

"I share Nico's pain of losing a mother, and I can only imagine the pain you and Hades feel. Of course I forgive you." She let out a single cry before she began sobbing loudly, placing her head on mine and squeezing into the hug even tighter.

"Thank you Percy. You'll make a great son-in-law" she wept, pulling away and placing a motherly kiss on my cheek. I smiled at her, placing a kiss on her own cheek.

"And you a great mother-in-law." She smiled back at me and then stood up, extending her hand which I entwined with mine.

"Come, let us go for a walk. I think it high time we discuss wedding plans, don't you?"

* * *

 **Ohhhhhh, so that's why Hades doesn't like Percy… I can't believe how many reviews and PMs I got that had guesses or questions which answers were in this chapters. You guys are creepily accurate…**

 **And WOW. I never expected my story to get this popular. I expected it to just get like one follow or something, but I am proud to say that as of now it has 22 followers and 14 favorites. Thank you guys so much. You're the reason I keep updating so fast (That and I don't have a life.) It makes me happy when I get a new follower or a review, so the more you review or the more followers I get, the faster the next chapter comes…**

 **Anyway, we probs got one more chapter, maybe two, until the war breaks out, so stay with me! And the story won't end after that. I've got plans for this baby if you guys continue to like it. Big plans….**

 **Okay, see you next time!**


	6. Delay

**Okay, I just wanted to give you guys a heads up. I'm not abandoning this story, but it may be a little while before the next chapter. It has already been longer than usual since I updated and that's because my grandfather has gotten sick recently and I've been trying to spend time with him. Also, I've got summer homework that I'm trying to get done and some family issues that are going on as well which all combined isn't helping with my writers block. I just wanted to make you aware as to why it was taking me longer than usual to update. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. I love you guys and I hope you will stick with me and wait for the next chapter. See you (hopefully) soon.**


	7. Chapter 5

**Thank you guys for being patient and waiting for me to update. I'm super sorry it took me so long, but I finally managed to squeeze out this chapter. Also, let me give you guys a heads up, when school starts for me, it may take me about a week to update a chapter as I'll be super busy. It shouldn't take as long as this chapter did, but I just wanted to give you all a heads up. Thanks for being so supportive and understanding. So here you go!**

* * *

 _Noon, The Next Day_

Hazel POV

Standing 200 feet tall and 20 feet thick, the walls surrounding the palace were grand, but they endured one fatal flaw. They were ancient. The Underworld had existed for thousands of years, and since the dawn of its existence the palace had been the center of Underworld life. Palaces had come and gone, crumpled with age or destroyed by war, but for some reason the walls stayed strong.

Yet as the years had passed, they began to crumble. Standing before them, I took in the severity of their antiquity. Cracks were plastered on nearly every inch of their surface. I had no doubt that they would collapse with a single blow. But I guess that's why father sent me out here to 'reinforce' them.

Lifting my hands high, I took a series of calming breath and focused with all my might. I felt the energy bellow in my chest and the aura around me vibrate with electricity. I extending my arms full length and a blast of glowing white light erupted from my palms, encompassing a vast majority of the wall in front of me. The heat was intense and I felt the power burning through my body.

The ground began to shake and I lowered my hands, stopping the blazing light. At first, nothing happened. The wall remained cracked. In fact, it might have looked a little worse. I started to worry that my magics had failed me, but then the wall glowed and the cracks began to seal. A ten foot wide portion of the barrier had healed and looked as if it was brand new. I smiled at my handiwork.

You see, one of my Royal Powers was the ability to perform basic spells. Fix a shattered window, make an enemy see an illusion, simple things really, nothing too drastic. Compared to things Nico could do… Wait, speak of the devil, there was Nico now. He was standing outside of the large, iron gate and staring off into the distant horizon.

"Nico, what the hell are you doing out there?! The gates are locked for a reason! How'd you even _get_ out there?!" I shouted at him through the metal bars. He turned towards me and smiled before heading over to the shade of a nearby tree. His image flickered for a moment before he disappeared completely and then reappeared behind me in my shadow. I jumped when he tapped me on the shoulder and I angrily pushed him away.

"Christ, Nico. Don't scare me like that!" I shouted. He smiled at me and laughed before casually leaning back against the bars of the gate.

"Relax Hazel. I just wanted some fresh air. The guards are on triple shifts and watch us like hawks ever since we found out about Zeus. The closer _he_ gets, the worse _they_ get. What are you doing out here?"

"Father asked me to repair the walls. If Zeus so much as flicked a pebble at them they would come tumbling down" I answered with a sigh. Nico looked me up and down concerned.

"Spill. What's the matter?" he demanded. I walked up beside him and rested my back against the cracked stone, crossing my feet and locking my arms behind my back.

"I'm scared Nico. Frank wasn't exaggerating in the meeting. Zeus' army is far better than ours. We've only lasted this long against him because he's been stretched on two fronts; us _and_ Poseidon. Poseidon always tended to ignore us, engaging us in conflict only once or twice a year, but if he hadn't been in constant combat with Zeus, Olympus would have destroyed us centuries ago" I answered.

Nico turned towards me and swiped a stray hair from my forehead before wrapping me in a caring hug.

"Hey, it'll be fine. One thing you seem to forget is that he's fighting on _our_ turf. He may have better weapons and soldiers, but we've got the home field advantage." I gave him a smile before wrapping him in another tight hug.

"Thanks big bro" I laughed. He gave me a brilliant smile before ruffling the top of my head, messing up my hair.

"No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go find Perce. Tonight's the night" he said with a nervous smirk. I let out a loud squeal and bounced up and down in place before jumping Nico with a third huge hug.

"Oh Nico! That's fantastic! You better go then. I hope everything works out!" I shrieked. He laughed awkwardly, a scarlet blush creeping up his cheeks, before patting me on the shoulder and turning away to find Percy.

Lucky Nico… He got to see his boyfriend and I was stuck here doing work. I sighed loudly before turning back to another section of the wall and extending my arms once more, raising my hands high as a gleaming white light surrounded the stone.

* * *

Percy POV

I was amazed at how quickly Persephone's garden had died. The endless array of colors and hues had vanished and were replaced instead by a sickly gray. Leaves and flowers that were once so vibrantly full of life now lay curved towards the ground, wilted as though they had been forgotten for eons. It was heartbreaking.

I walked over to my favorite section of the garden, the one that housed the beautiful blue roses. Instead, I found a shriveled up bush, ashen and dead, surrounded by blackened petals discarded in the dirt. I fell to my knees and shifted my fingers through the hardened soil. How did this happen?

"It's horrible isn't it?" whispered Nico from behind me. I turned my head, startled at his approach.

"What- How- Why did this happen?" I asked. Nico gave me a caring smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. He bent down and picked up one of the petals, rubbing the velvety softness against his thumb and forefinger only for it to crumble into dust.

"The garden's linked to Persephone's mood. She's been toughing it out these past few days, but Zeus is almost here. She's really starting to worry, and her plants are suffering for it" he explained.

"That's awful. It was so beautiful" I whispered. Nico placed his arms under mine and pulled me into a standing position before kissing me gently on the lips.

"Don't fret, _il mio principe mare._ When this is all over, her mood will return back to normal and the garden will return with it. This has happened before" he assured me. I looked into his eyes and melted a little under the intensity at which he was looking at me.

"Promise?" I asked. He laughed and pecked his lips quickly against mine.

"Promise. Now come with me. There's something I wanted to show you" he whispered, extending his hand. I quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what Nico had planned, but I placed my palm in his and he gripped it tightly, turning away and pulling me with him.

We walked back inside the palace and through a set of halls I had never been through before. The further we went, the more isolated we became. The walls and floors began to get dirtier, as if no one had been in this wing of the castle in years. Every now and then Nico would turn and give me a reassuring smile, but then he would look straight ahead and pull me along with a greater devotion than before.

"Nico, where are we going?" I asked.

"It's a surprise" he replied. We eventually came to a large oak door, and with a devilish grin, Nico pushed it open. There was a set of stairs that extended down a long, _long_ ways, but it was pitch black. Nico stepped aside and gestured for me to proceed down the steps. I looked at him as if he was insane.

"You want me to go _down there?!"_ I squealed. He chuckled quietly before wrapping his arms around me and gently pushing me towards the door.

"Don't worry. I can see in the dark just fine. Just go step by step, I've got you" he whispered in my ear, sending a shiver up my spine. Against my better judgement, I nodded and began walking down the stairs. I had to use the tip of my foot to feel for where the next step was, but Nico held tightly to my waist, assuring I wouldn't fall. After several minutes, we reached the bottom and my feet settled on a soft, almost squishy substance, but we were in total darkness. I couldn't see anything.

"Okay, I'm officially freaked out" I grumbled.

"Don't be. Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded reluctantly, which apparently he could somehow see, and Nico snapped his fingers. The room instantly filled with light, the torches on the walls having lit at Nico's command. I gasped at the beautiful scene laid out before me.

We were in what appeared to be a cave; a large, indoor cave. The walls and ceiling were made of jagged stone, brown and eroded from time's cruel touch, but what was phenomenal was the _ground_. It was covered in a bluish-green grass that moved as though a breeze was blowing through the cavern. Sections of flowers and blossoms littered the pasture, adding brilliant areas of red and yellow to the emerald tint. The far end of the room held a pool of water about the size of a small lake. The water was as clear as crystal, sparkling and glittering in the dim light of the torches. It was even more stunning than Persephone's garden.

"Do you like it?" Nico asked, walking up next to me. I tried to speak but my jaw was finding it difficult to form words.

"It-it's _incredible_ , Nico. Wh-where are we?" I asked. Nico smiled brightly, as if he had won some small victory, before gripping my hand and pulling me towards the water's edge.

"Beneath the palace. This place has been here forever. None of us can explain it. The grass and flowers grow without sunlight and the water is just _so_ clear. We don't know why it's here." Nico pulled me to the edge of the water and we stared out into its transparent depths.

"This is amazing. I've never seen something more beautiful" I stuttered, looking around the cave once more. Nico sighed with relief, although I wasn't quite sure why.

"Good. I wanted you to like it. I wanted this to go perfect" he mumbled. I looked over at him quizzically.

"Wanted what to go perfect?" I asked nervously. Nico looked down at me, his normally happy face suddenly becoming gravely serious. He took a series of deep breaths before crouching to the ground and- and getting on his knee. Oh gods he wasn't going to-

"I know we both knew this was happening, and the plans have already been made, but I still wanted to do this right" he started. My heart began pounding as he reached in his back pocket and pulled out a small box. I couldn't breathe, it was like there was no air in the room.

"I won't lie, I had my reservations when I found out I may have to marry someone against my will. But then I met you, and everything just- just felt _right_. I've never been good at giving speeches, but I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my entire life. I want to spend every second of every day in your presence. I want to wake up every morning to your beautiful face and go to bed every night to the exact same image. Percy Jackson, will you marry me?"

He opened the box and I was greeted with the sight of the biggest emerald I'd ever seen. It matched my eyes perfectly in color and shimmered like the sea. It was carved into the perfect image of a trident and sat prominently on top of an onyx band. It was the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen. Nico's eyes found mine and I saw the hint of nervousness in them; the small fear that I would say no. Could he really be that stupid?  
"Yes!" I screamed, tackling Nico on his back and placing a string of sloppy kisses all over his face. He smiled up at me and placed the ring on my left index finger. This was the happiest I'd ever been.

"I love yo-" before I could finish my sentence there was an eruption from the lake. A tidal wave of water rose up and crashed over our bodies, soaking both of us from head to toe. I looked down at Nico's horrified expression and began laughing hysterically.

"Di-did you just do that?" he asked astounded.

"I'm sorry. I can't control it when I get all excited!" I yelled, leaning down and plastering his face with another string of kisses. I willed our bodies to dry and they listened to my command.

"I love you Percy" he whispered against my lips. I told him I loved him too before pulling both of us up to our feet and staring down at the ring on my finger.

"I love you so much. That's why I have to do this." I looked up at him confused. What was he talking about? Nico's eyes were the shade of pure black they got when he was upset about something, and that only made me more nervous. He looked at me longingly, placing his right hand against my cheek and leaning in to kiss my temple.

I closed my eyes at the sensation and suddenly felt the world around me go cold. When I opened my eyes, we were no longer in the cave. I was standing alone in a dimly lit cage, surrounded by thick brick wall on three sides and bronze gates on the forth. Nico stood sadly outside of the metal bars.

"Nico? What's going on?" I demanded, rushing to the door to the cell in a panic. We appeared to be in the palace dungeons, and I did _not_ like it down here.

"I'm sorry Percy, but Zeus is going to be here at dawn. I can't- no, I _refuse_ to let you fight. I won't see you get hurt, I just won't. When the battle is over, if I survive, I'll come and get you. If Zeus wins, he'll undoubtedly be putting many of our men in these other cells, so they should find you rather quickly. I love you Percy" he stated. Tears stung the corners of my eyes, not out of sadness, but out of blind fury.

" _Are you serious right now?!_ You just _proposed_ to me, and now you're locking me in a fucking cage! What the hell is wrong with you? Let me out of here right now!" I screamed, banging my fists against the metal until my hands cracked and bled.

"I won't see you get hurt, Perce. It'll be better for everyone if you stay down here…" I let out a loud scream in frustration and kicked the bolted door with all my might. I didn't budge an inch.

"Let me out of here you bastard! You can't just lock me up because you don't want me to get hurt. How am I supposed to protect you if I'm stuck down here?" I cried out. Tears swelled up in Nico's eyes and I knew he wanted to let me out, but he turned and began walking away.

"I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!" I bawled, angry tears flowing freely down my face as Nico wondered into the shadows and left me alone in the dark.

* * *

Nico POV

I regretted leaving Percy the second I shadow traveled away. I thought that by leaving him safely 'tucked away' in the dungeons, he wouldn't be able to get hurt. Instead, all that had done was hurt him. I mean, could I have had worse timing? I propose to the love of my life, and then I locked him up in a cage. What is wrong with me?

I had good intentions, I swear. It's just- after losing my mother, and then Bianca, I can't lose someone else, _especially_ not Percy. Maybe I should let him out. He'd forgive me and we could go on like everything was normal. Yeah, that's what I'd do.

But just as I turned to go back down the hall to the dungeons, all hell broke loose. The air was filled with the earsplitting sounds of bombardments raining down from above. I raced to the window and saw dozens of wheeled trebuchets approaching from the north, each launching boulder after flaming boulder.

They came crashing down on the palace, crumbling the surrounding walls and destroying the black marble. It was Zeus. We had been deceived, he was here nearly a whole day early. I raced to the hallway, ignoring the screams of terror from servants, and ran to the stairs. I had to get Percy out of the dungeons now.

Yet before I even got to the main floor, the ceiling above me creaked and shook. The roof caved in and hundreds of pound of rock collapsed inwards, surrounding me in darkness and sealing me in my own tomb. I was trapped.

* * *

 **Eeeek! Percy's stuck in the dungeons and Nico's trapped under a butt load of debris. What else could go wrong? I guess you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out. Mwa hahahaha.**

 **Thanks again for waiting for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy and will review. See you, hopefully, soon!**


	8. Chapter 6

**I don't really have any news guys, so without further ado, here's… whatever chapter this is…**

* * *

Leo POV

It started out as a normal day, sure. But then the world caught on fire. At first I thought I was dreaming again. It was a nightmare I'd had countless times before after my mother died in that explosion. I'd be going about my business, taking a stroll through the city or eating a nice meal, when all of a sudden, _BAM!_ Everything around me went up in flames. I'd watch helplessly as my friends were surrounded in blazes and turned to ash. Then just as the fires reached me, I would wake up and Frank and Hazel would spend a good thirty minutes trying to stop my shaking.

This was nothing like that. It was so much worse. With Zeus' armies approaching, Hades' men were in dire need of weapons. Knowing my talent as a blacksmith, Hazel put me to work in the palace forges which were located just outside of the castle, but still within the surrounding walls. I'd spent the last five or six hours repairing broken shields and making magnificent swords. Then it happened.

Rocks the size of pegasi came crashing down all around us, each one burning dark green with enchanted fire. Three crashed into the workshop I was in simultaneously. I barely had time to lunge out the window before the entire building exploded in a green inferno. Screams filled the air as the soldiers who had been working in the yard were bombarded. Sections of the palace itself began to collapse and burn. Yet that wasn't the worst part. In the distance I could see the real damage.

Even more boulders were crashing down into the city. Elysium was already in flames, and Asphodel wasn't looking any better. Was this the Apocalypse? Was this hell?

"Leo, thank the gods you're okay. Get inside _now_! We were tricked. It's Zeus; he's early" screamed Frank who had come racing over to me.

"I'm not leaving you out here" I countered. Frank glared angrily at me and I was worried he was going to drag me inside, but the painful moaning of a group of soldiers demanded his attention. Pegasi stables had collapsed on top of them. We both raced over to the fallen men and tried to pull the debris off of their bodies, but it was too late. Their chests had been impaled by the splintered wood. They were dead.

"Damn you Zeus!" screamed Frank. His eyes were wide with anger and to be honest it scared me. I'd never seen him like this. Suddenly Frank gripped my arms and threw me a few feet away, just in time for a rock to come crashing down on where we had been standing.

"We'll never survive this!" I screamed. Frank's face turned grim and I knew he was agreeing with me. He surprised me by jumping on top of me and wrapping his arms tightly around me, placing a heat filled kiss on my lips and telling me how much he loved me. Before I got a chance to respond, the doors of the castle opened.

Hades stormed outside dressed in full battle armor; black Stygian Iron covering every inch of his body besides his face. That was reserved for a black helmet that struck fear into my very soul. I couldn't stare at him for too long because he frightened me so.

" _CESSARE"_ **['cease' in Italian]** he screamed, raising his hands in the air as a blast of red light shot into the sky. To my astonishment, the flaming rocks answered his demand. The ones in the sky slowed down until the floated in midair and then vanished completely. The ones on the ground however remained; as did the carnage they had caused. I'd never seen the king use his Power before, but it was wondrous to behold. As ruler of one of the three kingdoms, he basically had unlimited power, as if he was a god. Sadly, he was not and he could be defeated as easily as any other mortal man.

"Thantos, Frank, to me. Send the third battalion…" Hades began barking orders and Frank and Thantos soon followed, but I didn't pay much attention. I was too distracted by the screams of pain. The utter sound of torment. The blood… It made me wonder about my mother. I always figured she went painlessly, but what if she didn't? What if she suffered as much as some of these wounded men were?

I started trembling like I did after one of my nightmares. I wanted Frank to come over and hold me but he had more important things to do. Maybe Hazel could- Hazel. Oh god where was she? She must still be inside the palace! Oh god no, please let her be okay.

Instinctively I bolted towards the large doors of the palace, ignoring the shouts of Frank behind me. The inside of the castle didn't look much better than the yard. Columns that once stood tall and beautiful lay in pieces on the cracked floor. Sections of walls had collapsed and pieces of the ceiling crumbled everywhere.

"Hazel! Hazel!" I screamed. At this point, most of the palace was deserted, everyone having ran outside to prepare for battle. I ran in and out of rooms, up and down stairs, and through every hallway I could find. Some sections of the castle were completely gone, destroyed in a pile of ash. What if Hazel was in there when they went down… No, I wasn't going to think like that.

Just as I was about to give up and go check outside again, I heard a very faint and muffled groan. I looked around but I didn't see where it was coming from.

" _Ugnn_ " it moaned. It seemed to be coming from a male and after scanning the area once more, I saw a pile of collapsed ceiling in the corner. It seemed to be shifting as if- as if someone was trapped beneath it!

"Gods. Hello? Can you hear me?!" I shouted as I crouched down and began shifting through the rubble. It took a few minutes but I managed to move most of the debris until I was greeted with the soot covered face of Nico.

"L-leo?" he asked.

"Oh my gods, Nico, are you okay? Everything's gone to hell. Have you seen Hazel?" I asked. Nico shook his head slowly before leaning up on his elbows and pulling himself out of the pile of fallen rock.

"No. But Percy. I have to get Percy out." I looked down at him questioningly

"Get Percy out of where?" I asked. Nico winced as he tried to stand, but his face turned pale.

"I kind of locked him in the dungeons. Don't look at me like that Leo Valdez! I did it for his own good. I had to keep him safe. He wasn't well enough trained and he would have gotten himself killed. That is, if he isn't dead already…" I was about ready to scream.

" _You locked him in the dungeon? Por la Madre María como mi testigo, que es mejor tener una buena razón- ¿Por qué incluso encerrarlo en el dungeons- Voy a vencer a la mierda de ustedes, idiota!._ **[By Mother Mary as my witness, you better have a good reason- Why would you even lock him in the dungeons- I'm going to beat the shit out of you, you idiot!]** " Then after a long sigh, **"** Forget it. Let's go find him."

Nico looked slightly mortified at my outburst, but I couldn't help it. I broke out into Spanish whenever I get mad, and right now, I was pretty fucking furious. Nobody locks my best friend in a cage.

* * *

Jason POV

The sight of the Underworld going up in flames was wonderfully beautiful. The screams of terror filling the air? Music to my ears. It filled me with a sense of accomplishment. _I_ had done this; _me_. No wonder my father sent me to lead the attack. Hades and his stupid children thought that Zeus would be fighting, but that was false. We planted that rumor with their spies on Olympus. No, it was me who would be leading the attack on the city.

I was standing on a hill about a mile away from the palace. Flaming boulders crushed everything in their path. It was fantastic. Not only was the palace in near ruins, but the city was in chaos. They obviously were not prepared, but how could they be? No nation would ever be able to withstand the wrath of Olympus.

Temporarily I began to worry that our trebuchets would get to have all the fun. Half of the city was on fire and a fourth of the castle collapsed, and meanwhile our trebuchets kept firing. They weren't even begging to run low on ammunition. I was in the middle of debating whether or not to stop the bombardment so that our… _special guests_ could have some fun, when the firing stopped.

"Why did they stop? I did not order a cease fire!" I screamed at no one in particular. My second in command, Octavian, stepped forward. He had short blonde hair that was hidden under his feather plumed helmet. His tiny frame looked awkward in the stocky armor around his torso.

"It seems the trebuchets are no longer working properly, your highness. Besides, all the ammunition simply vanished" he answered. I clenched my fists in anger.

"It's that damned Hades. He's used his Royal Power. But no matter. We have other means for destruction." A smirk played across my lips at the wonderfully chaotic ideas playing through my head. I stole one last glance at the orange flames of the metropolis before turning towards Octavian with an evil smile.

"Release them."

* * *

Nico POV

The pain was intense and near excruciating throughout my body, but I ignored it. The only thing I could think about was Percy and how I had managed to screw everything up. I had good intentions when I made plans to lock him up. He would be safe down there, out of harm's way. Even if Zeus was coming to kidnap Percy, one of his soldiers could have accidently wounded or killed my fiancé. I couldn't risk that happening.

The fact that I did it right after proposing to him only managed to make me look like a bigger jackass. I could only hope that Percy would forgive me. But whether he forgave me or not, I needed to get him out of that cell. That's why Leo and I were racing as quickly as we could towards the dungeons.

It took us a little bit longer than it should have because we had to crawl over fallen sections of wall or ceiling, but we made it to the dark basement eventually. It didn't look any better than the rest of the palace. The combined weight of the destruction above had caused a good portion of it to fall in on itself, including the cell holding my Percy.

My Sea Prince lay unconscious in the corner of his cell, the top of one of the walls having caved in and a brick landing on his head. Leo shouted and tried to wake him up but he didn't stir at all. I grabbed the keys from the wall and unlocked the metal door, racing over to him and shaking his still body. When he didn't react and the walls began to crumble, I knew we needed to take action. Ignoring the pain in my left shoulder, I placed my arms under his knees and his upper back, lifting him up and carrying him bridal style.

"We gotta go Leo. Now!" I screamed over the cracking noise of the brick. He nodded furiously and together we raced up the stairs, barely making it in time as the entire room collapsed behind us. Percy began to stir quietly in my arms and I placed a quick kiss on his forehead before Leo and I headed up the stairs and into Percy's room. I sat him down on his bed and covered him up in his dark blue sheets.

"Will you watch him for me? I need to go outsi-"

"Nico! There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you. We were wrong, man, we were so wrong. Zeus isn't attacking the palace. He's headed for the city" interrupted Thantos. My eyes went wide in shock and I raced over to the window to look out and the bloodbath.

In the distance I could see a combination of men and monsters charging towards the city, ignoring the castle completely. The majority of our soldiers were fortified in the palace walls. It would be a massacre for Underworld citizens.

"We need to go. Now" demanded Thantos. I nodded vigorously and headed towards the door after him, only to stop and turn towards Leo.

"Keep him here. _Please_." Leo gave me a curt nod and I sighed with relief before turning back toward the hall and racing after Thantos.

* * *

Hazel POV

I was inside the southern section of the palace when everything went to shit. I'd taken a break from mending the wall to grab a snack from the kitchens, and just as I reached the pantry, a giant burning rock fell through the ceiling. At first I thought it was a comet, but then a second boulder fell beside me and I knew something was seriously wrong. I managed to summersault to the right just in time to dodge a collapsing section of roofing.

The flames began to spread on the wooden floor and more and more rocks crashed around me. I bolted for the door and into the hallway, swerving left and right to avoid the crumbling second floor. As I approached the iron arch that lead to the central section of the castle, I ran face first into Persephone and we both fell to the ground just inside of the archway. The entire southern wing collapsed right as we landed.

"Hazel? Thank the gods you made it" she coughed. I sat up on my elbows and quickly scanned the area. The ceiling and walls didn't seem to be crumbling in this part of the palace, so we had a moment to talk.

"Made it? What the hell is going on?" I demanded. Persephone sat up, crossing her knees and coughing violently. Her hair was messed in knots and her formerly white dress was now brown from dust and ripped in several places.

"This outfit was a gift! Zeus is gonna buy me a new one!" she screamed.

"Zeus? He's behind this?" Persephone nodded, finally having stopped coughing.

"Yes. We were tricked. He's already here. I saw them from the garden. Hades' will need both of our help. He stopped the air assault, but we should go" she groaned. I nodded and stood up, brushing off the dirt from my armor. Persephone joined me and hand in hand we raced towards the front door.

The yard was a nightmare. Soldiers lay wounded or dead almost anywhere I looked. The workshop and stables had been completely demolished. The entire front section of the surrounding wall was now rubble. I scanned the crowd of injured for Frank and was thankful to find him barking orders, completely unharmed.

"Hazel! There you are" he screamed when he saw me. I jogged over to him while Persephone hurried off toward Hades.

"I was inside. Where's Leo? Is he okay?"

"He was fine last time I saw him. We were both outside when it happened. He went inside looking for you" answered Frank. I nodded gravely. I must have passed him without knowing.

"What's the situation?" I asked. Frank's face paled and together we walked over to the broken barrier. He pointed down the hill towards the city. It was hard to make out at this distance but I could briefly see several skirmishes taking place. Our men verses Zeus'. His Cyclops' verses our Hell Hounds. Underworld citizens ran through the streets screaming. It was a chaos.

"We were wrong. We thought he would send his men to the palace; to get Percy. It seems he's trying to take the city first. We've sent all our troops down there, but it isn't enough. Hades' is weakened from stopping the boulders, but he wouldn't be allowed to use his power anyway. Ancient Law only allow kings to use Royal Powers against other kings. He'd just be able to fight with his sword, and that wouldn't make very much of a difference. So far Zeus hasn't shown himself. We're assuming he's hanging back to watch the bloodbath."

"That sounds like old Thunderhead" muttered Nico from behind me. Frank and I turned to see my brother approaching, sword drawn and a devilish grin on his face. Thantos was walking a few feet behind him.

"Nice of you to join us" said Frank. Nico laughed quietly before placing a hand on my shoulder and looking at me seriously.

"Leo's safe. He's inside with Percy." I nodded calmly, but inside I was screaming with relief.

"Well then let's go kick some Olympian ass" I shouted. Frank looked at me with a twinkle of admiration in his eye, but there was a glimpse of pain on his face. He was thinking the same as me. There was zero chance of us winning this fight. We would die before nightfall.

* * *

 **Oh dear. Jason's turned out a little more psychotic then I intended, hasn't he. And poor ole' Percy's unconscious. Things are definitely going to shit in the Underworld, aren't they? Next chapter will have a semi-plot twist that I HOPE you guys weren't expecting. Regardless, this story will have a happy ending and everything is gonna work out fine. Or will it?**

 **Oh, and also, somebody is probably going to die. Mwahahahaha**


	9. Chapter 7

**I'm going to go ahead and apologize in advance. I got my wisdom teeth taken out a few days ago and have felt awful, so if this chapter sucks, I'm super sorry.**

* * *

Percy POV

When I woke up, I was dazed and confused. My vision was blurred and it felt like I had been whacked over the head with a brick. I reached up and rubbed my temple only to feel a surge of pain and the wet texture of blood. Oh that's right. I _had_ been hit over the head with a brick.

"Percy you're awake. Thank the gods" screeched Leo from beside me. I looked up and saw the panicked Latino sitting on the edge of my bed. He looked almost as bad as I felt. Wait, what was I doing in my room? Suddenly everything came back to me. I remembered Nico proposing, how ecstatic it felt to know that he would be mine. Then I remembered him throwing me in the dungeon. I clenched my fists up tightly at my side at the anger that filled my body.

I don't care what his reasoning was, you just don't lock somebody up right after you finish proposing. He was going to be doing some _major_ groveling in the very near future. I tried to sit up in the bed only for my head to shoot out waves of pain. That's when I remembered the shaking. How the earth began vibrating like an earthquake before the wall collapsed on top of me and everything went black.

"What happened?" I asked. Leo let out a huge sigh and began pacing back and forth across the room. He rambled out the events that had just happened. How Zeus' armies had arrived early and how the palace and city had been bombarded by flaming boulders. Panic surged through me as I thought about Nico. I may be furious, but that doesn't mean I wanted him t get hurt.

"Where's Nico?" I asked. Leo's face fell into a deep frown and he walked over to the window.

"He, Hazel, Frank, and Thantos ran out to the join the troops in defending the city." My heart sunk in my chest at the thought of Nico in danger. I jumped out of bed, ignoring the pain in my head.

"What're you doing?" demanded Leo.

"I've gotta go help them. Where's my sword?" Leo looked at me angrily.

"You are _not_ going out there. You're hurt for one thing and you don't have the training needed to fight in a war" complained Leo. I ignored him and continue searching around the room for my sword. Just as I was about to start digging through my closet, a glimmer of gold caught my attention hanging above my bed. The trident! I jumped up on the bed and ripped the bronze from its hinges.

A surge of power raced through me as I grasped the pole of the trident in my hand. It felt… right. It was the perfect weight for me. Leo looked livid as I jumped down and began walking toward the door.

"Nico told me not to let you leave and I intend to do just that. I don't want you to get hurt, Percy" complained the Latino as he rushed in front of me, blocking my path.

"Don't you want me to check on Hazel and Frank? They could be in danger." It was a mean trick, I know, but it made Leo pause long enough for me to step past him and into the hallway.

"Percy," he screamed. I turned back and looked at my best friend, his eyes watering as though he would break into tears any moment. "Come back in one piece." I gave him a cocky grin before racing down the stairs to go find Nico.

* * *

Nico POV

"Aaargh! Puny human! You will fall by my hand!" I rolled to the side just in time to dodge the mighty club swinging down towards me. The Cyclopes were a relentless and bloodthirsty race, and they usually only cared about food and, um, _reproduction_. Only a select few were peaceful, spending their immortal lives in service at forges in the three kingdoms. I don't know how Zeus got them to willingly fight for his army.

I summersaulted to the left, avoiding another swing from the Cyclops' club. Seeing an opening, I charged between the beast's legs, swinging my sword in an upward strike and turning the monster to dust. Pausing momentarily to catch my breath, I looked around at the surrounding chaos.

The city looked about as bad as the palace did. Buildings had caved in left and right and fire was spreading from the rooftops at an unholy speed. I heard Hazel grunt at my side and I turned to find her, along with Frank and Thantos, engaged in combat with two Cyclopes at the same time.

"This is for Leo's mom!" screamed Hazel as she stabbed her blade deep into the creature's gut. With a final roar he exploded in a pile of dust at her feet. By the time the golden powder had settled, Frank and Thantos had already finished taking care of their other opponent.

"We're never gonna make it to the town square. There's just too many of them" panted Frank. Although they remained silent, the weary eyes of Hazel and Thantos were agreeing with his statement. We'd been trying to reach the center of the city for the past half hour, but we could never move more than a few feet without encountering either another monster or a soldier. We were slowly becoming exhausted.

"We've got to make it. Zeus' forces are gathering in the center of the city and we have to stop them" I panted. Just as the others nodded and we took a few steps toward the road, I caught sight of a small girl across the road—she couldn't have been older than seven—being chased by a Laestrygonian, a large, cannibal giant that roamed the wilds. Again, I had no clue how Jason could have gotten such foul monstrosities to fight with him.

"Nico…" warned Hazel.

"I know, I see him" I grunted. I raised my hands to about shoulder level, extending my palms until they were flat open. There was that brief feeling of drowsiness and then an intense rush of power. The ground next to the giant split open with a loud _CRACK!_ and a dozen skeletal warriors charged from its depths. They were from multiple periods of history; some wore armor from a hundred years ago while others were clad in modern chainmail.

"Attack!" I screamed, pointing towards the giant. The skeletons obeyed my command and charged the Laestrygonian. He was a pile of dust before the little girl even had time to scream. I smiled victoriously, but it wavered nearly instantly as the feeling of weariness spread over my body from using my powers.

"You okay Nico?" asked Hazel warily. I nodded and she gripped my arm, helping me to stand stably. I nodded towards the now empty road and the four of us paced towards the town square. Just as we were rounding the final corner of the Square, a horrible screeching filled the air.

We looked up towards the sky just in time to see a drakon towering above our heads. It was at least fifty feet long and covered in dark black scales. It ignored us completely but it unhinged its jaws and shot flames from its throat down on the now empty streets of Asphodel.

"That things going to burn the city to the ground. Hazel, Frank, Thantos; go" I ordered.

"I'm _not_ leaving you" barked Hazel. I looked at her with threatening eyes.

"All of the troops are focusing on getting to the center. Asphodel is practically unguarded. You three need to go stop that thing. I'm finding Zeus and ending this thing." Hazel looked as if she was about to protest again but Frank gripped her shoulders and pulled her back towards the direction of the drakon.

"Be safe, Nico!" screamed Hazel as she rounded the corner against her will. I nodded, even though she was out of sight, and continued down the path to the town square. After a few minutes and a couple of skirmishes, I ended up just outside the center of town.

The destruction was worse than the rest of the Underworld combined. Only one or two buildings still stood fully intact and corpses littered the ground in every direction; human and non. But what caught my attention was the young man standing casually by the fountain in the middle of the square.

He wore bright white armor and a golden sword sat prominently on his hip. He looked vaguely familiar to me, but I couldn't quite place who he was. When I caught the glimmer of a crown sitting atop his head, it all clicked. It was Jason, the prince who had pretended to be a servant under our very noses. The sole reason for the current rampage against my kingdom.

Anger filled me to the very core and I did the only rational thing I could think of. I charged.

* * *

Jason POV

Standing in the center of the Underworld allowed me to _truly_ appreciate all the damage I was causing. I remember that I had been to the Underworld's Town Square only once before, during my time of impersonating a servant. I had been quite beautiful then. Cobblestone paths covered the entire courtyard, an empty section of land probably three hundred feet by three hundred feet, each end bordered by tall buildings that closed the Square in. Beautiful flowers said to have been put there by the Queen herself adorned the walkways and in the very center I could vaguely recall an enormous fountain, sculpted into the shape of a serpent-like horse.

The Town Square looked nothing like that now. My armies had done their jobs to the letter, and the Underworld's center was practically nonexistent. The cobblestone paths were obliterated to practically gravel; the flower surrounding them as black as night. The buildings that composed the edges of the courtyard had collapsed on three of the four sides, and the fountain in the middle held a large crack through the center. And don't get me started on the bodies…

Underworld soldiers lay mangled and bloody all over the place. A few Olympians had gone down fighting as well, but that was to be expected. They had served their purpose well, just as my many monsters did. Oh and wasn't that a fun surprise for Hades' men. The terrified looks on their faces as my beasts attacked would stay ringing at the front of my mind for ages.

Yes it was truly my greatest achievement. The fires were leaping from rooftop to rooftop at an increasingly fast speed, thanks to the help of my drakon, and in a matter of hours I doubted there would be anything but ashes left of the Underworld.

But I'd have to sneak away to the palace before everything was _completely_ destroyed. I still needed to get my prize. That sinfully delicious Atlantian. _Percy_. Just thinking about the green eyed prince got me all hot and bothered. Percy would undoubtedly be so flattered that I went to so much trouble for him. I bet he'd let me fuck him before we even got back to Olympus…

"Bastard!" My thoughts were interrupted as I was tackled to the ground by an unseen force. Whoever it was, they were heavy and apparently pissed, because the power from their attack sent me tumbling a couple of feet to the side. I recovered by turning my stumble into a front roll and landed crouched down on my knees, drawing my Imperial Gold sword instantly.

I quickly glanced in the direction the attacker had come from and saw none other than Nico di Angelo standing with his own Stygian Iron blade raised. A sly grin spread across my face at the prospect of killing the heir of Hades.

"Ah, Nico di Angelo. What a… _pleasant_ surprise" I laughed, standing up slowly from my crouched position. The black haired prince shifted defensively in place and raised his sword slightly higher, mimicking my movements.

"I wish I could say the same about you _Jason_ " he said, spitting out my name as if it was venomous.

"So you recognized me this time? I bet it just ate you up that I spent a good month in your palace without anyone knowing" I replied, slowly walking counterclockwise towards him. He mimicked my every movement, circling me in the opposite direction.

"Can I just kill you now? This whole 'banter back and forth' thing is really outdated" he complained. I stopped circling him and lowered my blade casually.

"I couldn't agree more." With a devilish grin I charged. He was momentarily surprised, but he recovered quickly, blocking my blade as it came slamming down a mere inch from his face. He thrust his arms outward, launching me a few paces back and causing me to stumble slightly. Nico took this chance as an opportunity to go on the offense.

Sliding down to the ground, he attempted to sweep his leg and knock me over, but I managed to jump up and flip over him, arcing my sword down on Nico as I passed over him. He let out a yelp of pain as my blade sliced a vertical mark up his back.

"This'll be easier than I thought" I mocked. Nico jumped up again, fire burning in his eyes, and he charged. He swiped his sword low in an attempt to stab me in my chest, but I parried it easily and with a delicate flick of my own sword, I managed to disarm Nico. His Stygian Iron clattered to the ground and I kicked it across the Square.

"I win" I laughed. With a grunt, I pulled back my blade and plunged it deep into Nico's shoulder blade. His scream of pain filled the courtyard and he feel to the ground as I pulled out my blade. Drops of his blood feel from my swords golden tip and I couldn't help but think that particular shade of red looked so lovely.

"Goodbye Nico. I'll take extra good care of Percy while you're gone" I whispered. I couldn't tell if the pained look on Nico's face was from his wound or my words, but either way I was happy. I raised my blade to bring it down a final time, but before I could it was once again flung across the courtyard.

This time however it was by a freezing gush of water. The wetness surrounded me and tried to pull away at my sword, but I held on tight. It was like a giant fist of water had surrounded me and was trying to squeeze the life out of me. Just as I was certain I was about to drown, the fist dropped me. I was panting for breath and clawing at the hard stone of the ground. I was certain that Hades had used his Royal Powers on me illegally, but I looked up and was surprised to see who was standing before.

"Do. Not. Touch. Nico" demanded Percy.

* * *

Percy POV

I never thought I could feel the string of emotions that I felt when I saw Jason standing over Nico with that sword. I wanted to throw up, scream, and slit Jason's throat all at the same time. I felt anger and fury and rage, but I also felt terror and fear and panic. It was an awful rollercoaster of emotions that I guess just comes with seeing your fiancé about to be murdered.

Then I felt that familiar tug in my gut that I got when I was upset; my Royal Powers trying to unleash their wrath for me. When I saw the fountain a few yards behind Jason, I just let it all loose. Every drop of hatred I had for this stupid war. Every ounce of disgust towards Jason. Even the untapped resource of fury I felt toward Nico for locking me in a cage. I just let it all out in a single explosion of power. And man was it powerful.

Without so much as a second passing, the fountain _exploded_. I'm talking completely _gone_. No trace of it ever existing. All the backed up water from the pipes beneath it answered my call and shattered the entire structure, bursting through the ground and obeying my every whim. I extended my left palm and shot my arm out towards Jason, squeezing my hand into a tight fist when he came into view.

The water answered my order and morphed into the shape of a hand, reaching out and encasing Jason completely before squeezing him tightly into a fist. I felt adrenaline and raw control surge through me as I saw the Olympian struggling in the water's icy grasp. It was empowering. Eventually the feeling of supremacy wore off and the weariness from using my power set in. I dropped Jason to the ground and released my hold on the water, letting it fall to the earth and seep into the cracks of the street. Jason gasped for breath and looked up at me astonished.

"Do. Not. Touch. Nico" I demanded. Jason's cocky and calm demeanor faltered for a brief second and he looked as terrified as I felt, but he quickly recovered and got to his feet, brushing off the muddy dirty from his soaking clothes.

"Well, well, well. My little kitten has some claws, doesn't he? _Meow_ " he flirted. I felt a little bit of bile rise up in the back of my throat but I managed to swallow it down.

"I am _not_ your _little kitten_ , Jason" I growled, holding back my vomit. Jason gave me a charming smile before combing his empty hand through his hair. We stood in silence for a few moment before Nico made a muffled sound of pain. Jason's eyes flickered toward my injured boyfriend. _Shit_.

"I'd almost forgotten you were there Nico. Just give me one second Percy and I'll finish up with _him_ and we can go back to Olympus." Jason flicked the water off the tip of his sword, making a step towards Nico, and I panicked.

"No!" I screamed, raising the trident in my right hand and throwing it at Jason. I'd had every intention of killing him, but at the last second, I panicked and changed my aim. The trident flew through the air and caught Jason between two of the prongs, dragging him backwards until the bronze connected with the stone of the wall. Jason stood restricted against the side of a building, restrained but unharmed. While the blonde was struggling against the pointed tips of the trident, I took the opportunity to rush over and check on Nico.

"Percy?" he asked. His normally black eyes were a dull and distant gray. There was a large pool of blood around him and it was growing larger every second.

"What the hell were you thinking, Nico?" I asked, placing a furious kiss on his lips. He smiled weakly against me before lifting his hand up to cup my cheek.

"Had to keep you safe" he whispered. Nico's normally pale skin was now as white as snow and I knew he wasn't going to last much longer. He'd lost too much blood.

"Come on. We've gotta get you out of here" I mumbled, placing my arm carefully under his uninjured shoulder and trying to help him to his feet. Before I could even start to life though he screamed in agony and begged me to put him down. I was about to protest before the air began to crackle with electricity.

"You- you think you can just choose Nico over me? Ha! You're _mine_ Percy!" screamed Jason as the air around him grew heated. Suddenly the sky turned dark and a blast of lightening shot down straight towards him, destroying the trident in a great blast. When the smoke cleared, the building had collapsed but Jason was standing tall, completely fine.

"I could never choose Nico over you Jason because there _isn't a choice_! It's always been him and it'll always _be_ him!" I screamed in frustration. Nico mumbled something by my side but I couldn't hear him. I was too focused on the furious look in Jason's eyes.

"Fine. Then I'll just get rid of the Underworld trash and you'll _have_ to love me!" Jason scooped up his fallen sword and charged at Nico. Out of reflex I picked up the only weapon I had nearby, Nico's sword which Jason had disarmed him of, and blocked Jason's attack. This only seemed to infuriate the blonde further and he turned his rage on me.

"How dare you defy me?!" he roared, slamming his sword down repeatedly on top of me. I struggled to block each of his attacks, but did so nonetheless. Jason slammed his fist across my jaw and kicked my chest, sending me sprawling backwards while Nico's sword went skidding the other way. He turned his attention towards Nico once more, raised his sword, and I knew this was it.

I searched my gut for that familiar tug, but the fountain was out of water. I was weaponless, powerless, and Nico was going to die.

"Jason! Wait!" I screamed, putting every bit of pathetic imploration that I could into my words. He hesitated in his attack and lowered his sword to his side, turning to stare down at me.

"What" he barked, voice laced with disgust. I was at a momentary loss. I didn't know what I could possibly say that would get him to spare Nico. There was only one thing that Jason wanted and— Yes, that would work…

"Let Nico live" I ordered. The look on Jason's face was probably considered amused. He turned towards Nico and spit on his dying body before turning to me with a smile on his face.

"And why in the hell would I do that?" he laughed. I took a deep breath before standing up slowly and giving Jason the biggest, greenest eyes I could muster.

"Because if you call off the attack and you let Nico live, I'll go back with you to Olympus. Willingly."

* * *

 ***gAsP* The Underworld is pretty much 80% destroyed, Nico's nearly dead, and Percy's agreed to go back to Olympus to save his fiancé's life. Oh dear. At least no one died! (yet) See ya next week with the next chapter. School starts tomorrow for me, so it may take me a tad bit longer to update, but it won't be anything major. Please review and tell me what you think my beautiful readers! I love you!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Sooooo I've decided to take this story down a different path. It's still a Percico story, and for those perverts (like me, ha) there will still be smut in later chapters, but I'm changing my original plans. This doesn't affect you guys in anyway, except for the fact that Love and War will be a little longer than I had intended.**

 **Also, the other story I'm working on still refuses to upload to . I have no clue why, but I've decided to just focus on Love and War until it is finished. That's all the announcements I've got, so enjoy chapter 8.**

* * *

Jason POV

" _Because if you call off the attack and you let Nico live, I'll go back with you to Olympus. Willingly."_

My heart pounded in my chest at the prospect of Percy's words. I imagined having him beneath me every night, waking me up every morning in the most sinfully delicious ways. That had always been the plan though. That was the sole reason I was here, attacking the Underworld.

"And why don't I just kill Nico and take you back with me by force?" I asked, turning my gaze from the dying prince to stare at Percy. He looked frazzled and beaten. His normally messy hair was now tossed around in near knots. His shirt was ripped at the side and blood dripped slowly from his nose. In short, he looked so _fuckable_. Percy just stared at me for a moment, contemplating my question, before he glanced in Nico's direction. His sun kissed skin turned as white as Christmas. Then he turned towards me and sighed deeply, his entire demeanor changing to one of confidence.

"You could always just kill Nico and destroy the Underworld. Take me back to your precious little palace on Olympus and force your way upon me day after day. But is that _really_ what you want? For me to struggle against you, screaming how much I hate you and how you could never compare to Nico? For me to spend every second of the rest of my life trying to get away?"

He paused for a moment, staring at me intently and gauging my reaction. He had described my plan to the letter, but the more he spoke, the more I realized that it was flawed. That wasn't the Percy I craved. I wanted an _eager_ Percy, begging me to take him on a daily basis. Percy saw my obvious attentiveness to his words so he continued.

"That's what I thought. So I'm prepared to make a deal with you. You let Nico live; let me save his life. You stop this attack on the Underworld and you call a retreat, and then you leave this kingdom alone. If you do that, then- then I'll go back with you willingly. I'll be the perfect little queen you want me to be; proper and poised. And—and I'll give you a—I'll give you a _chance_ with me."

Nico groaned quietly in protest, and I could barely make out the word 'no.' He was ruining a perfect moment between Percy and me, so I leaned over and kicked him hard in his wounded shoulder. He screamed in pain before blacking out.

"Nico! Leave him alone!" screamed Percy, running over to grab Nico in his arms. I wasn't stupid. I knew Percy's so called 'deal' was just so he could save Nico. But I didn't care. If Percy comes with me on his own, then he won't be around Nico anymore. He'll be resistant at first. Heck, he'll probably hate me, but over time, he'll fall in love with me. It's inevitable. I'm Jason fucking Grace.

"Alright. I agree to your terms Percy" I answered. He sighed in relief and combed his fingers through Nico's matted hair, placing a rough kiss on the unconscious boy's forehead. That just wouldn't do. Percy just renounced his bond with Nico.

"Get away from him. You're mine now" I ordered. Percy looked mortified, but he didn't respond. He turned toward Nico and placed a gentle kiss on the boy's lips, an action so intimate it made me crave Percy even more, and leaned down to whisper something in his ear that I didn't hear.

"We need to get him help. He's lost a lot of blood" he said. I couldn't help but notice that he said _'we'_ instead of 'I'.

"Of course" I sighed through gritted teeth. As much as I wanted to watch the Underworld heir bleed to death, a deal was a deal. A put my pointer and middle fingers up to my mouth, blowing into them and emitting a high frequency whistle. Percy looked at me quizzically, but in a matter of seconds my horse Tempest was standing in front of us.

Tempest faded in and out of focus, his form taking a few moments to fully solidify into the shape of a horse. Percy's eyes widen in surprise and hesitation.

"What _is_ that?" he asked. I felt a little giddy for having startled him in such a way.

"His name is Tempest. He's a _venti_ , a storm spirit."

"And how exactly is he supposed to save Nico?" Percy asked irritated. I squinted at him in agitation. He would have to learn to change his tone.

"He's going to take Nico back to the palace. His father can take care of him" I answered. Percy opened his mouth as if he was going to protest, but he closed it quickly, realizing that my plan was better than nothing. The Atlantian tucked his arms under Nico's neck and knees, lifting him up bridal style before carrying him over to Tempest and laying him on the horse's back gingerly.

"P-percy?" he mumbled, the movement apparently having jostled him from his unconsciousness. Percy placed his finger on the other's lips, making a shushing sound.

"Hush. You're hurt. But you need to listen to me Nico. I love you more than anything in the entire world. No matter what happens, I will always be yours and you will be mine. Send a message to my father and tell him what happened. He deserves to know where I am. I lov-"

"If you don't want him to die you should really let Tempest take him to the palace now" I barked angrily. Seeing Percy get all mushy with another man was really starting to piss me off, and if he didn't stop now I may just go ahead and kill the guy.

Percy looked up at my, his eyes a mixture of sadness and anger before returning his gaze to Nico and planting one last kiss on his lips.

"Goodbye" he whispered, stepping back as Tempest galloped off at an insane speed. The horse appeared a mere minute later, having dropped Nico off and returning to pick us up. As I hopped on his back and helped Percy behind me, I noticed a single tear fall down his cheek.

* * *

Percy POV

When I was still living in the palace of my father, I learned to play by myself at a very young age. Even though I had two siblings, I was nearly completely alone in the world. My father was busy every day, always dealing with political issues or spending time with that dreadful Amphitrite. My brother Triton was a decade older than me, far too _mature_ to spend time with a five year old. That left my other brother Tyson, who was still in diapers and spent his days in the palace nursery. So I spent my earliest days locked away in my suite, passing the time by playing with my toys or drawing pictures.

Then I met Leo. A cute little Latino who sat glumly behind the bars of Atlantis' orphanage. I came across him while I was on a carriage ride through the city with my father. Leo was starring right at me, all alone in his section of the courtyard while all the other kids were playing amongst themselves. He was an outcast among them because he wasn't a merperson. He was half mortal, like me.

I saw myself in him, so I pleaded with my father to adopt him, to give me _one_ friend in the palace. But Poseidon declined. I grew depressed for days until finally my father agreed to purchase Leo's service as my personal assistant. I was overjoyed and the next day Leo moved into a small room next to mine.

From that day on, I was no longer lonely. I had a friend, and even if he was paid and force to be there, he enjoyed my company and I enjoyed his. Leo and I became inseparable, and as the next twenty years passed, I forgot that empty feeling in my heart. Until now. Sitting on the back of Tempest, my arms wrapped loosely around Jason's waist as we rode for Olympus, I felt lonelier than I had in my entire life. Because for the first time in my existence, I had absolutely _no one._ No Leo. No father. No brothers. No one but _Jason_ , an insufferable bastard whose name made my mouth taste like acid.

"We're almost there. I can't wait to show you Olympus. You're gonna love your new home" beamed Jason. I felt like I was going to throw up. As soon as Nico had been safely returned to the palace, Jason and I rode out of the city to his army's base on an outlying hill. He ordered one of his generals to call for a full retreat and the attack was stopped.

After leaving some guy named Octavian in charge, we quite literally _stormed_ ahead on the venti, leaving the army in the general's hands so Jason could 'take me to my new home.' On Tempest, we moved as fast as any Pegasus could. It would take the army a few days to reach Olympus, while it had taken Jason and me a few hours.

The whole ride I had contemplated just jumping off the horse. We were going so fast that the impact would surely kill me. But then there would be no one to hold Jason to his bargain, and he would return to the Underworld and kill Nico.

 _Nico._ My heart began to ache all over again at the thought of him. I hated this with every fiber of my being, but I loved Nico too much to let Jason hurt him. Maybe if I had trained better I could have fought Jason off. I should have been able to protect the one I loved. Instead, Nico had nearly died and I was halfway across the world, doomed to never see my sweet Ghost Prince again.

"Look, there it is" shouted Jason. I blinked away the tears and raised my head to look in front of us. As miserable as I was, I couldn't help but gasp at Olympus' magnificence. It was nothing like Atlantis or the Underworld.

Directly ahead, maybe ten or fifteen miles away, stood the largest mountain I had ever seen. It towered up into the sky, its peak so far lost in the clouds that I couldn't see it. A long, wide road circled the mountain, starting at the base and spiraling slowly all the way up to the peak. It was beautiful and I wanted to throw up.

With each passing second, Tempest brought us closer and Olympus became clearer. I could now see a stretch of flat green fields that circled the mountains. Small farm houses and plantations were scattered across the thousands of acres.

"Whoa" I whispered, momentarily forgetting the sickness I had been feeling over my current situation. Jason turned around and smiled at me, pleased with himself for some odd reason. The sickening feeling returned and I remembered why I was here. I was going to marry this viscous man. He was going to attempt to court me and inevitably fail. Then he would grow angry with my resistance to sleep with him, and most likely Jason would take what he wanted from me by force in the end. The only thing I had to look forward to was death.

"The city's at the very top. You won't be able to see it until we—why are you crying?" asked Jason, turning his head to stare at me. I glared at him menacingly, although with my blotchy red eyes it just looked pathetic.

"Why do you think?" He looked slightly hurt by my words before they turned into brief anger.

"You know, it doesn't have to be as bad as you're making it out to be. You could have a good life here. You've got a prince, soon to be king, that is desperately in love with you. You'll be living in the most beautiful palace in the world. There isn't a person in Olympus who wouldn't want to be in your shoes. Why are you so fucking set on being miserable?" he screamed.

I raised my gaze and found his eyes. They were wide with fury, full of so much hate and resentment that it sent a chill up my spine. I let my eyes wonder to the side before sighing deeply.

"Because I don't love you."

* * *

 **Poor Percy. Heck, poor Nico. There's a lot of sadness for the couple ahead, but, that just makes the happy days even better, doesn't it?**

 **And I know this chapter is short, but if I didn't end it here I would have had to go on for another 2,000 words and it would've taken me another week. School is ripping my ass apart, and I barely have any spare time to write now, but I figured you guys would rather get a shorter update than no update at all.**

 **Anyways, I love you, my beautiful readers, with all my soul. Please review and give me some lovins! See you next time.**


	11. Chapter 9

**Pardon my French, but holy freaking shit. I never expected Love and War to get this popular. Granted that compared to other fanfictions, it's nothing, but considering this if my very first fanfiction and I expected to get about a single follower, I'm pretty fucking pumped. As of now, Love and War has 57 followers, 38 favorites, and 33 reviews. That means the world to me guys. Thank you so much.**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate you all putting my story to the level where it is. Here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It's my favorite so far.**

* * *

Percy POV

When I woke up the next morning, I wasn't sure where I was. I was lying in a large white bed, satiny sheets hanging over my hips. The rising sun streamed in through the full length windows that spanned the outer wall of the room. The ceiling was speckled with diamonds and the white walls were painted with images of thunderous mountains.

I was already on the verge of a panic attack, but when I realized that there was a strong arm draped around my waist, pulling my flat against the body behind me, I nearly screamed. I started struggling against the unknown assailant, twisting my arms and legs to try and squirm away.

"Nnnnnnn… Sit still" grumbled the man behind me, and with a start I realized that it was none other than Jason holding me so tight. Then I remembered everything. The attack on the Underworld. Nico's severe injury and near death. Me willingly leaving with Jason so that Nico could live. And worst of all, I remember Olympus. The breathtakingly beautiful city which made Atlantis look like a pile of shit.

Impenetrable iron walls. Towering buildings made entirely of gems. Roads made of solid gold. And oh the palace. Made of silver and moonstone, standing taller than any structure I'd ever seen. It made me sick at my stomach to think that I actually found this city beautiful. Yet that's what it was. Beautiful.

Suddenly Jason rolled his spare arm underneath of me, bringing me back to the present as he pulled my body flush against his bare chest. When I felt a… _disturbance_ in his southern regions, my blood turned cold. Jason and I had made an agreement last night.

Olympus didn't have the same traditions as the Underworld, so sex before marriage was no problem. But we _were_ going to get married. That much was inevitable. But he agreed _not_ to force me into sex until either the wedding night, or until I was ready. Given that the wedding would most likely take place in a month or two, it wasn't much of a comfort, but it was better than him raping me on the first night.

 _How sick is it that I get to be thankful that my soon to be husband isn't raping me right now?_ I let out a disturbed laugh as the thought crossed my mind. The laugh quickly turned into quiet sobbing, but Jason didn't notice. He was still asleep.

The sun continued to creep higher in the sky and eventually Jason began to stir behind me. As he yawned loudly, his grip on me tightened and he ground his morning erection against the crease of my ass. I let out a loud squeak.

"You—you said you'd give me time Jason" I mumbled nervously. Jason grumbled unhappily, but he stopped his grinding.

"I know. You're just so sinfully tempting" he moaned with a kiss on the back of my head. Bile rose up in the back of my throat, but I swallowed it down. Thankfully he pulled the lower half of his body away from me and I no longer felt the sickening touch of his morning wood. Sadly though, he still held his arms tightly around me, his head buried in my neck as he purred contently.

"How do you smell so good _all_ the time? You smelt amazing during our fight. You smelt amazing on the ride here. You even smell fucking amazing after we just woke up. Like the ocean on a bright summer day." I shivered as he inhaled deeply, but not out of pleasure.

"Please get off me" I stated as nicely as I could, which considering I was an inferno of fury inside my head, wasn't very pleasant. Jason lifted his head and I could tell he was looking at me in anger. I ignored him and continued staring out the glass wall into the open sky. The sun was about even with the height of our room now and I couldn't look there for very long because of its blinding light.

Lucky for me, Jason decided to pick his battles and he released me from his grasp, rolling out of the bed behind me and mumbling about me being an ungrateful wife. I laughed inwardly at that; as if I had anything from Jason to be grateful for.

After a few moments of shuffling around behind me, Jason sat back down on the bed and gripped my shoulders, pulling my roughly around to face him. He had already dressed for the day, wearing a light blue toga with his ivory crown placed delicately atop his head.

"I've got to go and give my father a report on the attack. He'll be wanting an explanation as to why the Underworld isn't a pile of rubble. I guess he has you to thank for that. Anyway, I'll be busy for most of the day so you can do whatever you want. You have free range to roam any wing of the palace that you desire, but you cannot leave the grounds. The guards will restrain you if they see you trying to escape. Goodbye love" he whispered, leaning down to place a kiss on my lips. I flinched just in time for him to miss my mouth and plant his lips on my cheek.

He grumbled in annoyance but left without another word. After he left, I decided I'd just lay in bed for a while, watching the light from the sun bounce rays of color off the sparkling diamonds on the ceiling. To anyone else it would look like I had gone catatonic, but I was just thinking. About what my life would be like. About what my life would no longer be like. But most importantly, I thought about Nico.

* * *

Nico POV

After regaining consciousness (again), the first thing my recovering mind could register was the pain. I wasn't sure where I was or how I'd gotten there, but I was unnaturally aware of how much my body was screaming in agony. Every inch of skin felt like it was on fire, a sensation of burning so strong that I was near certain I'd died and gone to hell.

I tried to think, to work through the pain and rationalize that I was _okay_ , but I couldn't. My mind only focused on one aspect; hurt. Eventually I managed to make my eyes open and I could finally tell where I was. Through blurry eyes, I recognized that I was laying down in my bedroom, black sheets covering my naked form.

A surge of pain rocked through my shoulder and I forced myself to focus on the details of my room. Obsidian walls, the same color of my sword. _I felt like my body was ripping into a million pieces._ No windows, to keep out the sun I hated. _My shoulder exploded in agony_. A single candle illuminating everything. _Why does a shoulder wound hurt so much?_ Hazel sitting asleep in the chair beside me. _A moan of anguish fell past my lips as a wave of discomfort flowed over my entire body._

Apparently Hazel heard my outburst as her eyes flew open. She stared down at me in shock and let out a tiny squeal of surprise.

"Oh Nico! Thank the gods you're alive! Let me go get Persephone. She'll help with the pain" she screeched, jumping up from her chair and racing out of the room. I sighed with relief at the idea of, well, relief. After a few moments, Hazel reentered the room, followed by the queen herself dressed in her bright pink nightgown.

"Please help him" whispered Hazel. Persephone simply shushed her before taking my sister's previous chair and scooting as close to me as she could. The queen placed her left palm on my forehead and her right on my wounded shoulder. I let out a scream as she began putting pressure on my wound, but when she began chanting in that magical tongue of hers, the pain seemed to stop.

I no longer felt the sensation of agony, merely a dull, almost numb feeling. She continued working her Royal Powers for a good ten minutes before she pulled away, looking sadly into my eyes.

"Rest now child. The poison from the blade is gone now. They have many questions about Jason and Percy. Rest" she ordered. My heart imploded with thrice the amount of pain I felt before as I realized I had forgotten about my Percy. So caught up in my own torment that I completely ignored his. My last thought before the darkness took me was of how much he must hate me right now.

The next time I woke up, I wasn't sure how much time had passed. I was still in my room, and nothing had changed except instead of a single chair by my bed, there now were three, each filled with a body. Hades, Frank, and Thantos sat casually around me, staring down at me questioningly.

"You're awake" stated my father. His cold gaze scanned my body, a silent ' _are you okay_ ' being asked with his eyes. I stifled a groan as I sat up in the bed.

"I'm fine. What day is it?" I asked. Frank glanced nervously between the others before informing me that I had been asleep for two days. I closed my eyes as I felt my body go numb. Percy was undoubtedly already on Olympus. May the gods forgive me…

"— _iccolò?_ _Niccolò!_ Are you with me son?" asked Hades. I opened my eyes and stared at him blankly.

"What?" I asked. Thantos cleared his throat, not so subtly demanding my attention.

"We need you to tell us what happened. It seems that you may be the only person who has the answers we need. Your unconscious body was dropped off in the middle of the courtyard moments before Jason ordered a retreat. Also, Percy's been missing for the past two days. We've scouted every inch of the city and we can't find him. I sincerely doubt these events are unrelated."

My father's gaze left mine and he looked down at his feet sadly. I knew he was thinking about my mother. If anyone could understand the pain I felt right now, the pain of losing the person you love most near and dear, it was Hades. Frank gave my arm a gentle squeeze, silently encouraging me to tell them what happened. I sighed loudly.

"After I made it to the town square, I ran into Jason…" and so I told them the whole story. The duel between me and the Olympian. The sword to the shoulder. Percy saving me. My Sea Prince fighting heroically in defense of me. By the time I got to the part where Percy left with Jason, I was exhausted and in near tears. Not from sadness, but blind rage. Jason had taken Percy from me. _MY_ Percy. That wasn't going to end well for him. I had a plan.

* * *

Percy POV

The sparkling of the diamonds was truly mesmerizing. The light would hit them in just the right way, causing dozens of little flecks of color to shoot out across the room. I don't know how long I stared at them, but by the time I heard a knock on the door, the sun was already high up in the sky.

I mumbled for whoever it was to come in, turning my attention to the door. After a short moment, a pretty, dark skinned girl with brown hair entered. In the shadow of the door, she appeared darker than she truly was, and for just a split second, I mistook her for Hazel. Then the girl stepped into the light and I realized it was someone else.

She was about my height and age, with gorgeous curled locks that would make any woman jealous. She wore no makeup, but her face held a sort of natural beauty that cosmetics would have ruined. The only offsetting thing about the girl was that she wore rags. Scraps of clothing that looked like they had been beaten and tossed through the belly of a drakon a dozen times.

"Good morning Master Jackson. My name is Piper McLean, Jason's personal slave—er, I mean servant. It's a pleasure to meet you" she mumbled. She looked absolutely horrified and she trembled as if she feared she would be beaten. Then it occurred to me that she probably had been beaten. Olympians were not known for their kindness toward the help.

"Please, just call me Percy. None of that 'master' business with me. And you don't need to be afraid around me. I'm not exactly happy to be here either" I laughed. She smiled at me and stopped shaking.

"So it's true then? Jason kidnapped you? There were rumors amongst all the servants, but nobody was sure" she whispered, looking towards the door as if she was afraid someone would barge in at any moment.

"He didn't really _kidnap_ me. I voluntarily came with him to protect Ni—" I couldn't even get his name out. Her smile faded and turned into a frown. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it, instead turning around and tiding up the room.

"You probably noticed my skin color is different than most Olympians" she stated, picking up shirts and pants from the floor and folding them neatly.

"It hadn't really crossed my mind. Differences in skin are very common in Atlantis. Some merpeople are red or green or blue" I answered. She quirked an eyebrow at me but continued on nonetheless.

"Anyway, most Olympians are a tan/white color. My skin goes darker than that. It's because like you, I'm not from here." Then it was my turn to raise my eyebrow. They always taught us in school that change in residency between kingdoms was impossible during the war, except in my case apparently. I'm the only person to ever have lived in all three kingdoms.

"Where are you from then?" I asked. She finished folding the clothes and turned her attention to the large wall of glass, pulling a rag from her belt and cleaning it diligently.

"I'm an Indian. My people were nomads. They roamed the land between the nations. Lived peaceful lives. When I was about seven, my tribe was camped at a small boulder a few miles south of Olympus. Zeus' armies spotted the smoke from our fire and attacked us, fearing we were spies for the enemy. His men slaughtered every man, woman, and child. Except me." Tears were glistening in the corner of her eyes by the time she finished, but she continued working, ignoring her own emotions to do her job.

"Why did they let you live?"

"Because I told them to. Your kingdoms have, what are they called, Royal Powers? The tribes of my ancestors had something similar. The chieftains and their sons and daughters held magical abilities. Gifts from the spirits. My father was the chief of our tribe, and thus I inherited a gift. Charmspeaking, they called it. I put meaning behind my words and I can make others do my bidding. I begged the men to spare me that night, and they did. They took me back to Zeus and told him what happened. He found my gift interesting, so he kept me around as a servant for his son, but I was forbidden to ever use charmspeak again."

Piper let out a long sigh and let her hand fall from the glass. Hey eyes twinkled as she stared out the window and down into the clouds, as if she was remembering better times. After a moment she shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned towards me with a sad smile.

"I was so young then though. I barely remember life outside of Olympus. It isn't too bad here, you know. Just do as you're told and everything will be okay. Sure I'm still bitter about Zeus kidnapping me, but life could always be worse" she exhaled.

I let my gaze fall to the foot of the bed as I thought about what she had said. What if that had been me? What if I had spent my entire life as a slave to an ungrateful master, having watched my entire family die before my eyes? I made a solemn vow in that moment that if I were ever to escape from this place, I would take Piper with me.

A pair of clothes were gingerly placed beside my feet and I raised my gaze to find Piper still smiling at me. She bowed formally before turning and departing towards the door. As she opened it and stepped out, she paused and turned towards me.

"Don't let them break your spirt Percy. It's all you have."

* * *

Jason POV

Life had a way of working out for me. It always had, and if I was a betting man, I would say that it always would. When I was a toddler, I wanted a pony. My father bought me Tempest, an immortal venti who remains loyal to me to this day. When I was about ten, I decided I was ready for my own servant. My father gave me Piper. When I was a teenager, I wanted my own wing of the palace. Father rearranged half of the staff and storage rooms to give me just that. Then I met Percy, and decided he would be my next conquest. Sure enough, he became mine.

Waking up to the sight of that green eyed vixen was the most magnificent thing I could imagine. Something as beautiful as him had to be created with a specific purpose, and that purpose was to be mine. Sadly I didn't get a quick fuck this morning, but I'm sure Percy will lighten up in a few days. There's no _way_ he can resist me for long.

And I did promise him I wouldn't force myself on him. As tempting as he could be, a deal was a deal. I would wait until the wedding night if I had to, but he would be mine. Thinking about how erotic my first time with the Sea Prince would be made me so excited that by the time I reached the throne room, I was practically skipping.

My father was sitting in his marble throne, a smoothly carved block of stone engraved with the most intricate designs of the Olympian mountain. Atop his head rested the item I wanted most in this world (next to Percy of course). The royal crown. Made of solid sapphire, it is the oldest relic our people hold in their possession. Legend says it was made by the Creator, forged in the fires of hell and cooled in the ice of the sky. It has been passed down from king to king since the dawn of our great city, and I wanted it desperately.

I was so distracted by the crown that I hadn't even noticed my father was in council. Standing a few feet in front of him was the head of our Royal Guard, Reyna. By the way her hands were flying in every direction, she was obviously upset about something.

"—and you've sentenced Olympus to death!" she screamed. I continued to approach the throne, apparently unnoticed.

"You forget who you speak to, Reyna. Watch your tone" warned Zeus. His attention finally turned towards me and he tensed slightly. That wasn't a good sign. He looked back toward Reyna shortly.

"We'll discuss this later. Leave us" he ordered. Her face burned bright red in frustration but she stomped off regardless. My father tilted his head towards me, signaling for me to approach the front of the throne. Shit. That's what I always called "the hot seat". Whenever I was in trouble, he'd make me stand in front of him. When I was in his good graces, I got to sit in the smaller throne at his right hand side.

"Would you care to explain why my spies have informed me that the Underworld still stands? Albeit in ruins, but still standing nonetheless?" he barked, the entire room shaking with the authority in his voice. I cowered down on one knee, a show of submission that would appeal to his need for superiority.

"It is for good reason, father. Percy agreed to return home with me on the conditions that I spared both his former lover and the Underworld." Zeus sighed heavily and rubbed the space between his eyebrows in frustration.

"I allowed you to lead this attack and claim your _Atlantian prize_ because in return, I would gain two things. The destruction of my second largest foe, and the elimination of a potentially deadly alliance between Hades and Poseidon. You failed me in both aspects. And for what? _A boy."_

"Father please. You know well and good that I've never given a damn about this pointless war. I invaded for one reason; to claim Percy, and I accomplished my goal" I countered. Zeus slammed his fist down on the armrest of the throne, thunder roaring overhead and lightening flashing.

"Watch your tone! You may be nearing the age of kinghood but I am still the leader of this nation and you will treat me as such! Nevertheless, what has passed has passed. The Underworld still stands and the Atlantian is in my domain. Nothing can be done about it now. Tell me son, what are your plans for him? Torture, murder, public humiliation?"

I rose up from my knee before brushing the dirt off my pants. I approached the throne for a few steps before answering.

"Marriage of course. He will be my queen" I smiled. My father groaned loudly, rolling his eyes in irritation.

"I'd hoped you'd have better taste. Alas, who you marry is your decision. I'll have your sister Thalia head into town and find Selina Beauregard. She's the best wedding planner in the city. We'll spare no expense. Now leave me, and fetch Reyna on your way out. She and I have business to discuss."

I smiled wide and thanked him heavily before turning and racing out the door. That's right. Jason Grace always gets what he wants.

* * *

 **I really like this chapter. Things are finally starting to get good in my opinion. I hope you all agree. Anyway, please review, favorite, and follow the story. Love from you guys is what keeps me going! See you soon!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Wow. It's been a while, hasn't it? I took a pause because my grandfather fell ill and he ended up passing away in late September. After that I spent some time mourning and then school just got CRAZY and issues erupted with the family. Anyway, I hope to be back now and I'll go ahead and apologize for this short chapter. I hope to finish this story up soon and work on another, but anyway, here you go.**

Five Months Later:

Percy POV

The hall was flooded with music as the two great stone doors were flung open. A harmony of violins and cellos proceeded by a chorus of gasps from the audience as they turned to look at me. I swallowed loudly as I glanced around at the hundred or so onlookers. I don't know why Jason had to invite so many people. This was embarrassing enough for me as is.

"Come Percy. It's time" smiled Piper brightly from beside me. I turned my head towards her and felt my heart flutter. She looked so beautiful. Her body was draped in a form fitting navy gown with a slit down the legs. Her hair was done up in tightly knit bun, showing off her beautiful tan face. Piper radiated elegancy.

It was a sort of revenge against Jason. He and I were going to get married. That much was inevitable. But I could sure as hell try to make it as painful as possible for him. That's why I insisted on Piper walking me down the aisle. We had grown so close in these past few months that I couldn't imagine anyone else on Olympus doing such a thing.

Of course he was outraged. A _slave_ in formal wear? Giving the future queen away to the heir of Olympus? What an outrage! Ha, he nearly had a coronary. Regardless, he was forced to agree to my terms and it was satisfaction in itself to see Piper, who normally looked so sad and grey, fancied up more than most people got to do in their lifetimes.

"Stay close?" I whispered. She intertwined her arm with mine and smiled.

"Of course."

The violins were interrupted as the familiar tune of the wedding march set in. Butterflies rose up in my stomach as Piper and I began the procession down the aisle. Jason was standing at the end next to the alter, his face frozen in a look of superiority. I thought seriously about turning and making a run for it, but I knew I couldn't. I was doing this for a reason.

To keep Nico save. To keep the Underworld safe. To keep Tyson and Bianca from dying in vain. To end this timeless war.

Time flew by and in no time Piper was reluctantly placing my arm in Jason's as I took my place directly across from him.

"You look… good enough to eat" he whispered. I rolled my eyes and glanced irritatingly at the minister who got the hint and began the ceremony. I sort of zoned out to be honest. This was me giving up the rest of my life. I didn't really care about all the "dearly beloved"s.

"…Now if there aren't any objections," I heard as I brought my focus back to the minister. I thought seriously about saying something but Zeus had already warned me against it. Besides, they'd just continue on with the wedding anyway. I was doomed to marry Jason—

"I object. You see, I don't think I was exactly consulted on this arrangement." My heart stopped at the velvety tone of that voice. Could it really be? I turned my head to the side, ignoring the uproar of gasps, to see Nico leaning against the two stone doors at the opposite end of the aisle. Jason drew his sword in irritation and Nico laughed loudly.

"Come now. I see no need for violence. I'm only here to retrieve _my_ fiancé" smirked Nico. With a quick wink in my direction, he vanished. Jason spun around in circles, teeth clenched in fury, until I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder.

"Miss me?" he whispered. My eyes shut as I shivered slightly, a bright smile growing on my face.

"You have no idea" I answered with a laugh. Jason let out a loud scream of anguish, pointing his sword at Nico who was still standing behind me.

"I should've killed you when I had the chance" he growled, taking a step forward. Nico smiled brightly, and with a kiss on my cheek replied.

"Yeah, you should've." Suddenly the world began to grow dark as I felt the familiar sensation of shadow travel set in. I got one last glimpse of Piper's frowning face before the blackness surrounded me.

* * *

"Piper! Piper! We have to go back!" I screamed against Nico in the void. He placed gentle kisses on my neck and whispered gentled words into my ear but I couldn't hear him. Tears streaked my face and by the time reality reassembled around us I was in shambles. We appeared to have landed inside of a large tent.

"Who's Piper my love?" he asked, leaning down to the ground to rest on his knees beside me.

"She-she was a slave. And my only friend there. I promised myself I'd save her if I ever got the chance. And I failed her" I cried. Nico rubbed his hand in circles around my back soothingly. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak a man approached in front of us.

"Percy. Thank the gods you're alright" he mumbled. I looked up in confusion at the sound of that familiar voice.

"Dad?"

* * *

 **Yes, this is unreasonably short, but I've been gone for so long that I just wanted to put** _ **something**_ **out here for you guys. I'll try to work on the rest of the section and wrap this up as quickly as I can. There are probably only 2-3 chapters left. Thank you all for understanding why I've been gone and I hope you'll forgive me for this short chapter.**


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